Delhi also woke up to shallow fog and slightly warmer temperatures on Monday, indicating a gradual end to the winter season, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) rising to 206, placing it in the ‘poor’ category at 7 a.m., according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Several monitoring stations recorded AQI levels in the poor to moderate range. As per CPCB data, Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 289, Bawana 259, Chandni Chowk 193, DTU 206, IGI Airport (T3) 179, IIT Delhi 155, ITO 216, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium 213, Mundka 276, Narela 233, North Campus 135, Patparganj 208, Rohini 260, Pusa 159, and Wazirpur 254.
In neighbouring Noida, the air quality also remained a concern. Noida Sector-125 recorded an AQI of 237, Noida Sector-62 at 154, Noida Sector-1 at 192, and Noida Sector-116 at 195.
As per the AQI classification, a reading between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 to 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 ‘poor’, 301 to 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 to 500 ‘severe’.
Meanwhile, Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 9 degrees Celsius. Shallow fog during the morning hours affected visibility in some areas, though no major disruptions were reported.
The city is likely to continue witnessing shallow fog and mist over the next few days, even as temperatures remain largely stable.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), mist is expected to persist from February 10 to February 14, particularly during early mornings and late nights.
Day temperatures are likely to range between 23 and 25 degrees Celsius, while minimum temperatures may stay between 10 and 12 degrees Celsius. Humidity levels are forecast to remain between 50 and 60 per cent.
As winter nears its end, pollution levels have continued to remain high in many parts of the city, raising health concerns for residents, especially during the early hours when fog and pollution combine to reduce air quality further.
In a related development, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said on Sunday that 12 cities across the National Capital Region (NCR), along with four NCR states and Delhi, have submitted detailed pollution mitigation plans aimed at reducing pollution in the region this year.
Apart from Delhi, sector-specific strategies to reduce annual average AQI and particulate pollution were submitted by Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.
The NCR cities that sent their proposals include Agra, Meerut, Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, Karnal, Faridabad, Gurugram, Manesar, Panipat, Rohtak and Sonipat.
As per Delhi’s action plan, the city has set a target of reducing its annual average AQI by 15 per cent in 2026 compared to the average of the previous five years. The plan also proposes a 15 per cent reduction in annual average PM2.5 concentrations and a 20 per cent reduction in PM10 levels in 2026.