After a brief period of relief from extremely poor air conditions, Delhi once again edged close to the 400 AQI mark on Saturday as thick fog and cold weather covered the city from early morning.
Data from the Central Pollution Control Board showed the average air quality index over the past 24 hours at 398, placing it in the very poor category, with PM2.5 identified as the main pollutant. The capital had recorded severe air quality for three consecutive days starting December 13.
A heavy layer of smog persisted across the city through the morning hours. According to the India Meteorological Department, temperatures rose to a maximum of 22.2 degrees Celsius, while the minimum dropped to around 6.1 degrees Celsius. An orange alert was issued for dense fog, with shallow to moderate fog expected during the night and early morning. Cloudy and foggy conditions continued into the afternoon, and yellow alerts have been issued for Sunday and Monday.
Recent weekends have repeatedly signaled worsening pollution levels. Just days earlier, Delhi’s AQI climbed to alarming levels, touching 461, which led to the implementation of GRAP 4 restrictions. On December 12, the AQI stood at 349 before rising sharply to 431 on December 13, peaking at 461 on December 14, and remaining high at 427 on December 15.
Delhi environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa announced that vehicles without valid pollution under control certificates will not be allowed to refuel at petrol pumps starting Thursday. He also said that vehicles registered outside Delhi and below Bharat Stage VI standards will be barred from entering the capital from December 18 as long as GRAP 3 and 4 restrictions remain in force.
Meanwhile, flight operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport continued to be affected, with more than 120 flights cancelled across multiple airlines over the past week due to persistent fog. The airport issued a fresh advisory at 3 pm, urging passengers to check their flight status before travelling to the airport.
