Overview
- Delhi’s 24-hour AQI jumped to roughly 352–357 on Thursday morning, with Anand Vihar at 408 and Vivek Vihar at 415 in the ‘severe’ category and visibility dropping across the city, CPCB data show.
- Stage II of GRAP is in force, NDMC doubled parking fees to curb private vehicle use, and regulators moved to bar entry of non-BS-VI commercial goods vehicles from November 1, with specified exemptions.
- Delhi conducted cloud-seeding trials with IIT Kanpur, which officials said yielded modest, localized PM2.5/PM10 reductions; further sorties were postponed for lack of moisture, with additional trials planned when conditions permit.
- Lahore remained the world’s most polluted city, with IQAir readings previously above 400 and local monitors reporting hazardous peaks near instrument limits; Punjab authorities deployed anti-smog guns, stepped up enforcement and expanded monitoring.
- Forecasts from AQEWS and IMD indicate poor to very poor air in coming days as ventilation indices stay low, while nearby cities such as Panchkula also logged very poor averages, prompting officials to advise masks and limited outdoor activity.