New Delhi, 22 December (H.S.): Delhi-NCR and Uttarakhand's capital Dehradun grappled with severely polluted air on Monday, as the average Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi registered 377, Ghaziabad 364, Gurugram 328, and Dehradun 326—all falling within the 'very poor' category dominated by elevated PM2.5 and PM10 particulate levels.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) attributed the hazardous haze blanketing the region to these fine and coarse pollutants, with specific hotspots like Anand Vihar at 409, Rohini and Wazirpur both at 406, Chandni Chowk 371, ITO 370, Burari Crossing 344, IIT Delhi 337, Greater Noida 329, Noida 327, and IGI Airport 320 underscoring the crisis.
The India Meteorological Department reported moderate to dense fog enveloping parts of Delhi-NCR Monday morning, with maximum temperatures forecast at 20-22°C and minimums at 8-10°C; wind speeds of 10 km/h in the morning expected to rise to 15 km/h by afternoon before easing in the evening.
Dense fog warnings extend to eastern Uttar Pradesh until December 23, northeast India until 24, Punjab-Chandigarh through 25-28, and western Uttar Pradesh until 26-28.Uttar Pradesh anticipates a 2-3°C minimum temperature rise over the next three days followed by a 3-5°C drop in the subsequent four, while eastern, central India, Maharashtra, and Gujarat face fluctuations in highs and lows; other areas foresee no significant changes over seven days.
Authorities urged caution for commuters and outdoor activities, warning fishermen against coastal ventures until December 26. AQI scales classify 0-50 as 'good', 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor', and 401-500 'severe'.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
