Delhi continued to choke under a thick layer of toxic smog on Tuesday, November 18, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) slipping to 341, placing the national capital firmly in the ‘very poor’ category. Residents woke up to another day of low visibility and hazardous breathing conditions, with pollution levels showing no signs of relief.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), several key monitoring stations recorded alarming AQI levels. Akshardham and Anand Vihar both registered an AQI of 381, while Ghazipur stood at 345 and Dhaula Kuan at 365 — all falling within the ‘very poor’ bracket. As per CPCB standards, an AQI between 301 and 400 is classified as ‘very poor’, indicating a significant risk of respiratory discomfort even among healthy individuals.
Data from the Decision Support System (DSS) developed by IITM-Pune shows that vehicular emissions contributed around 18% to Delhi’s pollution on Monday, with stubble burning contributing 8.2%. For Tuesday, these parameters are expected to account for 17.9% and 8.3% of the city’s total pollution load, respectively.
The Air Quality Early Warning System under the Ministry of Earth Sciences has forecast that Delhi’s AQI will remain in the ‘very poor’ range for at least the next five days, signalling that the city is unlikely to see any meaningful improvement in air quality in the immediate term.