Dense fog blankets Delhi with AQI on brink of ‘severe’ at 384

Delhi: Visibility plunged across parts of Delhi on Saturday morning, with buildings and flyovers fading into a grey blur amid dense fog, as the capital’s AQI edged closer to the ‘severe’ category at 384.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) classifies an AQI between 201 and 300 as ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.

The lowest visibility up to 8.30 am was recorded at Safdarjung, where it dropped to 200 metres, followed by Palam at 350 metres, according to official data.

Several parts of the capital were enveloped in dense smog and fog during early morning hours, leading to poor visibility, a situation forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) a day earlier, officials said.

According to data from the CPCB, out of the 40 air quality monitoring stations across Delhi, 16 recorded air quality index (AQI) in the ‘severe’ zone, while 24 were ‘very poor’.

ITO was the worst at 437.

On Friday, Delhi’s AQI stood at 374, with 11 of the 40 monitoring stations in the ‘severe’ category and 29 in the ‘very poor’ range.

The AQI is likely to worsen over the next two days, with the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi forecasting that pollution levels may slip into ‘severe’ on Sunday and Monday, amid unfavourable meteorological conditions.

To mitigate the toxic pollution levels, a ban on non-Delhi private vehicles below BS-VI emission standards and enforcement of the ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ rule came into force on Thursday.

Under the rule, no vehicle can get a refill at any fuel pump without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate.

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Most failed students in Delhi never return to school

A large number of students in the national capital are failing to continue their education at the secondary and higher secondary levels, with dropout rates emerging as a serious concern, particularly among marginalised communities.

The issue was raised in the Rajya Sabha by Delhi MP Swati Maliwal, who sought details on students failing in Delhi government schools and their subsequent enrolment in the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). In its response, the Ministry of Education presented data on the total number of students who failed, alongside those who opted for open schooling as an alternative pathway.