Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘poor’ category on Tuesday, with an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 274—a marginal drop from Monday’s AQI of 273.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), AQI readings at 8 a.m. showed Anand Vihar at 294, ITO at 235, IGI Airport (T3) at 256, and both Chandni Chowk and Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium at 250. Other areas, such as Okhla Phase-2 recorded 277, while Punjabi Bagh and Wazirpur reached 298, all classified as ‘poor.’ Shadipur registered the highest AQI at 342, followed by Mundka at 325 and Jahangirpuri at 307. Nehru Nagar, RK Puram, and Rohini also reported AQI levels above 300.
An AQI between 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor, and 401-500 severe.
On Monday, the Supreme Court refused to relax the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) IV measures aimed at curbing air pollution in Delhi, saying that relaxations will only be considered when AQI levels improve in the National Capital Region (NCR).
A bench comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka and A.G. Masih also noted that none of the NCR states—Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh—had complied with the court’s directive to compensate construction workers. The court ordered the chief secretaries of these states to attend the next hearing virtually.
Citing a lack of coordination between the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Delhi Police, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), and other agencies, the Supreme Court directed the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to ensure better communication and effective implementation of the mitigation measures.
The next hearing is scheduled for Thursday, when the court will decide whether the GRAP IV measures require modification.
(With ANI input)