Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: The Delhi Airport issued an advisory on Tuesday as air quality in the national capital plunged into the ‘severe’ category, reaching alarming levels in several areas. This update followed the Central air quality panel’s decision to impose Stage IV restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
“Low visibility procedures are in place at Delhi Airport. All flight operations are currently normal. Passengers are advised to contact their respective airlines for updated flight information,” the advisory stated.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that moderate fog conditions, with visibility between 200m to 500m, are likely to persist over the next two days due to calm or easterly surface winds.
The air quality index (AQI) in Delhi soared to 427 on Tuesday morning, marking it firmly in the ‘severe’ category. Some monitoring stations recorded AQI levels exceeding 450, pushing it into the ‘severe plus’ classification. An AQI of 400 or above is hazardous, posing risks to both healthy individuals and those with existing health conditions.
The IMD highlighted the role of calm winds over the last 24 hours, which contributed to reduced visibility. “Visibility dropped from 800 meters at Palam on Monday to 350 meters at Safdarjung on Tuesday morning due to moderate fog conditions,” the IMD noted.
With no immediate respite in sight, air quality in Delhi-NCR is expected to remain poor in the coming days.
On Monday, the Centre’s air quality panel enforced the strictest Stage IV restrictions under GRAP. These include a complete ban on construction activities, restrictions on polluting trucks carrying non-essential goods, and mandatory hybrid learning for school classes, except for grades X and XII.
The deteriorating air quality and stringent measures underscore the region’s persistent struggle with winter pollution exacerbated by unfavorable weather conditions.
