The second stage of Graded Response Action Plan remains in force in the national capital.
A dense layer of smog enveloped Delhi and surrounding regions of Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad on Wednesday morning, leading to flight diversions.
Due to adverse weather conditions, 10 flights were diverted, including six to Jaipur and one to Lucknow, since 7 am. Zero-metre visibility was recorded at the Indira Gandhi International Airport at 8.30 am with the Runway Visual Range varying between 125 and 500 metres at different locations, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
Delhi International Airport Limited said in a post on social media platform X. "While landing and takeoffs continue at Delhi Airport, flights that are not CAT III compliant may get affected," the authority said. CAT III is a navigation system that enables aircraft to land even when visibility is low.
Delhi's air quality index was in the 'Severe' category breaching the 400 mark, while that of Gurugram, Noida and Ghaziabad was in the 'Poor' category. Faridabad's AQI, at 188, was 'Moderate'.
Visibility was poor as the AQI entered the 'Severe' category after remaining in the 'Very Poor' category for two weeks in Delhi. Two monitoring stations, including Anand Vihar and Aya Nagar, reported the air quality in the "severe" category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board.
"Very dense" fog began forming at around 5.30 am, while the weather department has forecast shallow fog for the day, with the maximum temperature expected to settle at 32 degrees Celsius.
The second stage of Graded Response Action Plan remains in force in the national capital, which entails mechanical sweeping and water sprinkling on identified roads, and implementation of dust control measures at construction and demolition sites.
Air quality remained a concern all over the Indo-Gangetic Plains, with three Bihar cities, two Haryana cities and Chandigarh featuring among the top 10 polluted places in the country on Wednesday.
The air quality in several parts of Punjab and Haryana was recorded in the ‘poor' category, while it continued to be the worst in Chandigarh, the joint capital of both states that is located in the foothills of the Shivalik hills.
According to Central Pollution Control Board's Sameer App, Chandigarh with an AQI of 375 falls in the “very poor” category. The air quality of Chandigarh that boasts of the third-highest tree cover in India was worse than Punjab's prominent industrial city Ludhiana at 212.
The situation is alarming in neighbouring Pakistan, where United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has warned about the health risks to 11 million children in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province due to worsening air pollution.
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', 401 and 450 'severe' and above 450 'severe plus'.
Inputs from PTI