Delhi AQI stays ‘very poor’ amid dense fog; over 150 flights delayed at IGI airport

Delhi continued to reel under persistent smog on Monday, with the city’s air quality remaining in the ‘very poor’ category, according to official data.

The average air quality index (AQI) in the national capital stood at 366 at 7:05 am, as per the Sameer app. Several areas slipped into the ‘severe’ category, with the Narela monitoring station recording the highest AQI of the day so far at 418.

Other locations, including Anand Vihar, Bawana, Jahangirpuri, Mundka, Rohini and Wazirpur, also reported ‘severe’ pollution levels, with AQI readings ranging between 401 and 408.

Dilshad Garden recorded the lowest AQI among Delhi’s 40 monitoring stations at 301, though air quality there was still classified as ‘very poor’.

Under the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) classification, an AQI of 0–50 is considered ‘good’, 51–100 ‘satisfactory’, 101–200 ‘moderate’, 201–300 ‘poor’, 301–400 ‘very poor’ and 401–500 ‘severe’.

Delhi airport advisory

Low visibility conditions prompted Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport to issue a passenger advisory on Monday morning, warning of possible disruptions to flight operations. More than 150 flights had been delayed by early morning, HT has learnt.

“Low visibility procedures are in progress at Delhi airport. All flight operations continue as normal,” the airport said in a post on X at 7 am, advising passengers to check with their respective airlines for updated flight information.

On Sunday, nearly 100 flights were cancelled and over 200 delayed at the IGI airport due to poor visibility.

Delhi weather forecast

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast moderate fog for Monday, with maximum and minimum temperatures expected to remain around 21 degrees Celsius and 9 degrees Celsius, respectively.

On Sunday, the minimum temperature was recorded at 9.4 degrees Celsius — 1.3 degrees above the seasonal average — while the maximum temperature reached 18.1 degrees Celsius.