Delhi Wakes to ‘Very Poor’ Air Quality Amid Concerns Over Ethiopian Volcanic Ash

Delhi’s air quality improved marginally on Tuesday even as a cloud of volcanic ash from an eruption in Ethiopia raised concerns about potential effects on pollution levels, which have hovered near the ‘severe’ category for days across the National Capital Region.

At 8 am, Delhi’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 362, placing it in the ‘very poor’ category, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data from the Sameer app. On Monday at the same time, the AQI was 382.

AQI Levels Across Delhi

Of the 39 monitoring stations listed on the Sameer app at 8 am, all but one recorded AQI levels below 400 — the threshold for ‘severe’ pollution — but still within the ‘very poor’ range.

• Worst station: Rohini at 416 (‘severe’)

• Best station: Mandir Marg at 289 (‘poor’)

CPCB classifies AQI as:
0–50 ‘good’, 51–100 ‘satisfactory’, 101–200 ‘moderate’, 201–300 ‘poor’, 301–400 ‘very poor’, and 401–500 ‘severe’.

Ethiopian Volcanic Ash Reaches Northwest India

A dense plume of volcanic ash from Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano—which erupted for the first time in thousands of years—reached northwest India on Monday night, meteorologists said. The development triggered speculation about whether it could worsen Delhi-NCR’s already toxic air.

Will the Ash Affect Delhi’s AQI?

Meteorological authorities say significant impact is unlikely.

IMD Director General M. Mohapatra told Hindustan Times that the ash cloud is confined to upper atmospheric levels, meaning its influence at the surface where people breathe will be minimal.
“It may appear as a hazy, cloudy sky for a few hours as the plume moves eastwards,” he said.

Mohapatra added that the main effect would be a slight rise in minimum temperatures, similar to the warming effect of cloud cover. Whether it will impact AQI remains uncertain, but “any significant impact is unlikely.”

Mumbai AQI

Mumbai’s air quality remained in the ‘moderate’ category on Tuesday with an AQI of 178, slightly higher than Monday’s 174.

• Mazgaon: Worst at 276 (‘very poor’)

• Sion: Best at 80 (‘satisfactory’)