AQI Remains in “Poor” Category, Cold Wave Conditions Persist in Delhi; IMD Warns of Dense Fog

Air Quality Index (AQI) levels in the national capital continued to remain in the “poor” category and deteriorated slightly early Sunday morning. AQI rose to 298 on Sunday morning from 267 recorded on Saturday evening. According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), Delhi’s AQI is likely to worsen to around 390 later in the day, approaching the “severe” category.

An AQI reading between 0–50 is considered good, 51–100 satisfactory, 101–200 moderate, 201–300 poor, 301–400 very poor, and 401–500 severe.

As per reports, AQI levels are likely to remain in the ‘very poor’ category for the next six days starting Sunday. Although air quality remained poor, weather conditions showed some improvement, with a noticeable decline in pollution levels. However, a visible layer of smog persisted in parts of the city. At India Gate, Republic Day rehearsal activities continued as scheduled amid high security.

Authorities have urged citizens to strictly follow the citizen charter under Stages I and II of the existing Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) framework to prevent further deterioration in air quality.

IMD Warns of Cold Wave Conditions

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted moderate to dense fog in parts of Delhi-NCR on Sunday and issued a yellow alert for most regions. The department said cold wave conditions are very likely in isolated pockets of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi until January 7.

“The minimum temperature will remain near normal, while maximum temperatures will be above normal by 0.3°C to 2.3°C over Delhi,” the IMD said. The department also noted that moderate fog is likely to occur at isolated places during morning hours, with temperatures ranging between 6°C and 19°C.

Cold wave conditions are also expected to continue in Rajasthan from January 5–8 and in east Rajasthan from January 4–8. A cold wave is declared when the minimum temperature drops 4.5°C to 6.5°C below the seasonal average.