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New Delhi: The national capital woke up under a dense blanket of smog on Sunday morning as the city’s air quality hit the season’s worst so far. The Air
Quality Index (AQI) climbed to 391 around 8 am, brushing close to the “severe” category, before slightly easing in the afternoon. At 4 pm, the AQI stood at 370, keeping the city firmly in the “very poor” or “red zone”, data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed.
Delhi AQI: Check Area-Wise Data
Most monitoring stations across Delhi recorded pollution levels in the “severe” range. Punjabi Bagh topped the list with 425, followed by Bawana at 410, Jahangipuri at 401, and Nehru Nagar and Wazirpur at 400, according to the CPCB’s Sameer app, which aggregates readings from 38 monitoring stations across the capital. In the National Capital Region (NCR), Noida recorded an AQI of 354, Ghaziabad 345, and Greater Noida 340, all falling under the “very poor” category. PM2.5 remained the dominant pollutant throughout the day.Interestingly, stubble burning accounted for just around 5 per cent of Delhi’s pollution on Sunday, according to the Decision Support System (DSS) for air quality forecasting. Satellite imagery showed 238 incidents in Punjab, 42 in Haryana, and 158 in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday. The transport sector emerged as the biggest contributor, adding about 20 per cent to the city’s pollution levels.
Wind Offers Temporary Relief
Meteorologist Mahesh Palawat from Skymet said, “While yesterday the wind was northwesterly, coming from Punjab and Haryana, today it changed to westerly and south-westerly. Winds increased to around 14–15 kmph in the afternoon, which helped disperse some pollutants.” By late afternoon, the AQI had eased slightly to 370.
No Stage-III Restrictions Yet
Despite rising pollution, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) decided not to implement Stage-III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). A CAQM statement noted, “Given that Delhi's daily average AQI has since shown a consistent declining trend, with AQI improving to 370 at 4 pm and further to 365 at 5 pm, the sub-committee opined that invocation of Stage-III of GRAP is not required at the moment.” Forecasts from IMD and IITM also indicate that air quality will likely remain in the “very poor” range.
Parents, Activists Protest at India Gate Over Delhi’s Toxic Air
Scores of people, including parents and environmental activists, protested at India Gate on Sunday against Delhi’s worsening air quality. Many mothers brought children, demanding urgent government action to ensure clean air. “We want to meet our elected officials. Our children are suffering,” said environmentalist Bhavreen Khandari, adding, “Every third child already has damaged lungs; they may live nearly 10 years less than those in cleaner air.”VIDEO | People hold protest at India Gate against air pollution in Delhi.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 9, 2025
A protester says, "Private monitors show that the air quality index has crossed 999 at several locations. Instead of taking concrete action, authorities are shutting down a peaceful protest. What are… pic.twitter.com/xsiRJOExm5
Protester Abhishek criticised politicians for failing to take responsibility. Police said several demonstrators were detained for assembling without permission. DCP Devesh Kumar Mahla clarified that detentions were preventive and that only Jantar Mantar is a designated protest site.
Since Diwali, Delhi’s air quality has consistently hovered between “poor” and “very poor”, occasionally crossing into the “severe” zone, underscoring the capital’s persistent pollution woes.
(with inputs from PTI)
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