Delhi’s air quality hovered close to the ‘severe’ mark on Friday morning, a day after the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) lifted Stage-3 restrictions of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the National Capital Region (NCR).

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the city’s AQI was 384 at 7:00 AM on November 28. On Thursday, the 24-hour average was 377 at 4 PM, reaching 381 by 8 PM as levels continued to rise. Several monitoring stations reported ‘severe’ AQI late Thursday evening. Delhi has been experiencing poor air quality for the last 14 days.

AQI Categories (CPCB):

• Poor: 201–300
• Very Poor: 301–400
• Severe: 401–500

Forecast:
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology suggest air quality will remain in the ‘very poor’ category. A CAQM official noted that while AQI worsened slightly due to low wind speeds, winds are expected to pick up from Friday onwards, preventing the AQI from exceeding 400 into the severe range.

GRAP Overview:
During winters, Delhi-NCR implements the GRAP, which has four stages:

• Stage 1: Poor (AQI 201–300)
• Stage 2: Very Poor (AQI 301–400)
• Stage 3: Severe (AQI 401–450)
• Stage 4: Severe Plus (AQI above 450)

Weather Update:

• Dense fog expected in early mornings from Nov 28–30
• Partly cloudy sky with shallow morning fog
• Temperatures 1–2°C below normal
  • Max: 25–27°C
  • Min: 09–11°C
• Wind conditions:
  • Morning: calm, gradually up to 5 kmph from north
  • Afternoon: less than 10 kmph from north-northwest
  • Evening/Night: less than 5 kmph from northwest

Authorities continue to monitor the air quality closely, urging residents to take necessary precautions, especially during the early morning hours.