Delhi AQI remained in the ‘very poor’ category on Tuesday, recording an overall AQI of 363, showing marginal improvement from the previous day. However, multiple monitoring stations crossed into the ‘severe’ zone, prompting authorities to enforce Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan.
Critical AQI Levels Across Monitoring Stations
Rohini recorded the capital’s highest AQI at 416 as of 8 am Tuesday, placing it firmly in the severe category. Anand Vihar followed with an AQI of 401, while both Jahangirpuri and Wazirpur registered readings of 400. Several other monitoring stations approached the severe threshold of 400, indicating widespread hazardous air quality across the city.
NCR Cities Report Deteriorating AQI
The National Capital Region continued to experience toxic air conditions. Noida recorded an AQI of 390 in the very poor category, though this marked an improvement from Saturday when the city had entered the severe zone. Ghaziabad reported an AQI of 348, while Gurugram stood at 311, both in the very poor range. Faridabad fared relatively better with an AQI of 222, though still classified as poor.
Volcanic Ash Adds to Air Quality Concerns
Air quality monitoring agencies have detected a plume of volcanic ash from Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano reaching Delhi. The volcano erupted on Monday for the first time in approximately 12,000 years. Experts warn this development could further intensify smog conditions in the national capital region.
Government Implements Work-from-Home Protocol
In response to deteriorating Delhi AQI, authorities have mandated that government offices and all private establishments operate at 50 percent staff capacity. The remaining workforce must work from home under Stage 3 GRAP measures. The directive, issued in Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena’s name, requires private offices to ensure only half their staff are physically present while others “mandatorily” work remotely.
Essential services including hospitals, private healthcare facilities, fire departments, public transportation, and water and sanitation operations remain exempt from these restrictions, ensuring critical services continue uninterrupted during the air quality emergency.
