Delhi AQI Reaches Severe Levels at Multiple Stations as GRAP-II Restrictions Take Effect

Delhi woke to thick smog on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, with the city's average Air Quality Index at 330-331 in the very poor category and eight monitoring stations recording severe levels above 400. Jahangirpuri registered 451, Rohini 429-431, Punjabi Bagh 424 and Delhi Technological University 409, according to Central Pollution Control Board data. Other stations in the severe range included Bawana and several northern localities.

The Commission for Air Quality Management invoked Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan across the National Capital Region on Monday after the AQI entered the very poor range. Stage II measures run alongside existing Stage I restrictions and include intensified checks on vehicles entering the city, restrictions on certain industrial activities and enhanced enforcement by traffic and pollution control authorities in Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Station Readings and Recent Trend

At 8 am the average stood near 330. By earlier evening on Monday it had been 324. The rise from roughly 117 three days earlier represents a sharp deterioration. Wind speeds remained low, under 6 km/h in some areas, allowing pollutants to accumulate. PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations at the worst stations reached several hundred micrograms per cubic metre.

Stations remaining in the very poor category included Mundka at 397, Pusa at 387-390, Burari Crossing at 382-383, Chandni Chowk at 354 and the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium area at 350. A smaller number of stations, including parts of the airport and some southern locations, stayed in the poor range.

Restrictions and Enforcement

Under GRAP-II, petrol and diesel vehicles entering Delhi from outside must meet BS-VI standards. Authorities checked thousands of vehicles on Monday and turned back hundreds that failed to comply. Construction dust control, waste burning bans and other Stage I measures continue. Civic bodies have been directed to step up road sweeping and water sprinkling in high-pollution corridors.

The timing places the restrictions five days before Diwali. Firecracker emissions and additional vehicular traffic traditionally worsen air quality further in the following days. The India Meteorological Department has forecast that very poor conditions are likely to persist over the next few days.

Health and Daily Life

Residents reported reduced visibility and respiratory discomfort. Schools and outdoor activities face practical limits even without formal closures. The combination of stagnant air, residual stubble-burning influence from neighbouring states and local sources has produced the current episode. Further escalation to Stage III remains possible if the AQI stays elevated or rises after the festival.