Overview
- Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI climbed to 461 on Sunday, the season’s worst so far, with multiple localities logging readings in the upper 400s, according to CPCB data.
- Noida reported some of the most extreme values, with city readings reaching 772 and a hotspot touching 963, alongside PM2.5 levels far above safe limits.
- The Commission for Air Quality Management activated GRAP Stage IV, halting non-essential construction and demolition and restricting sources such as RMC plants, stone crushers and brick kilns.
- Operational steps included hybrid classes for select school grades and work-from-home advisories as dense fog and near-zero visibility slowed traffic and obscured landmarks like Akshardham.
- Meteorological agencies cited weak winds, high humidity and persistent fog for trapping pollutants, with forecasts warning of widespread dense fog through midweek and only possible relief after a weather shift.