Delhi awoke on Sunday to a suffocating veil of dense fog and toxic smog, as air pollution levels plunged into the ‘severe’ category amid an intensifying cold wave gripping the national capital.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a cold wave alert for parts of Delhi following a steep temperature decline. At the city’s key Safdarjung observatory, the minimum temperature settled at 4.4 degrees Celsius on Saturday, while Ayanagar recorded 4.9 degrees Celsius. Multiple other sites dipped below 5 degrees Celsius, underscoring the harsh winter spell.
In its latest forecast, the IMD anticipates partly cloudy skies, with moderate fog likely at several locations and dense fog in isolated pockets during morning hours. Daytime highs are expected to range from 21 to 23 degrees Celsius, while overnight lows should stay between 4 and 6 degrees Celsius.
Compounding the discomfort, Delhi’s air quality worsened dramatically. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported a 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 437 at 6:30 a.m., firmly in the ‘severe’ bracket. Numerous monitoring stations logged readings above 450, entering the ‘severe+’ zone. Among the worst-affected areas were Wazirpur, Sonia Vihar, Rohini, RK Puram, Punjabi Bagh, Patparganj, North Campus, Nehru Nagar, Mundka, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Dwarka Sector 8, Chandni Chowk, Burari Crossing, Bawana, Ashok Vihar, and Anand Vihar.
The thick smog and fog drastically cut visibility, prompting the weather office to issue nowcast warnings for fog in multiple zones. At Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, Low Visibility Procedures went into effect. Although flight operations remained normal, authorities urged passengers to confirm updates directly with airlines.
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Visuals shared by news agency ANI captured the extent of the smog blanket, including drone footage from AIIMS and ground-level scenes along Janpath Road, highlighting the reimposition of restrictions under GRAP-IV across Delhi-NCR to combat the deteriorating air quality.
The convergence of hazardous pollution, impenetrable fog, and biting cold has sparked particular worry for vulnerable groups, including children, senior citizens, and individuals with pre-existing respiratory conditions.
Officials are maintaining close surveillance as wintry conditions persist in the region.