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Delhi AQI Update: The National capital remained engulfed in toxic air even on Sunday, November 16, and there was no reduction in the pollution levels due to the cold. Residents once again faced dangerous smog conditions as the Air Quality Index (AQI) crossed the 400 mark at most monitoring stations, pushing the city into the 'severe' category.

According to CPCB data at 8 am, the AQI was recorded at 421 in Ashok Vihar, 422 in Rohini, 417 in ITO and 410 in Punjabi Bagh. It should be noted that the CPCB classifies an AQI between 401 and 500 as 'severe', indicating serious health risks for all age groups.

On Saturday, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the national capital is facing severe pollution mainly due to PM10 emissions from construction activities, dusty roads and heavy traffic congestion. He said the government is intensifying efforts to identify major pollution hotspots across the city and tackle them.

The drop in temperature is making the situation worse, as dust is settling in the air and turning into dense fog.

Sirsa also said that emissions from industrial units shifted to neighbouring states are entering Delhi's airspace, further worsening the situation.

According to the Decision Support System (DSS) of IITM Pune, stubble burning contributed 16.3 per cent to Delhi's pollution load on Saturday, while vehicular emissions contributed 18.3 per cent - the highest among all sources. The DSS estimates that stubble burning will contribute 14.5 per cent to the city's pollution on Sunday.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted fog or light mist in the morning and partly cloudy skies on November 18 and 19. The maximum temperature is likely to hover between 24 to 26 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature may hover around 12 degrees Celsius.

Along with Delhi's suffocating air, the IMD has also issued a severe cold wave warning for large parts of central India.

With IANS Inputs