Delhi AQI: As pollution engulfs the nation's capital and interferes with aviation operations, several sites report "severe" air quality.

While seven monitoring stations reported "severe" AQI on December 22, Delhi's air quality is still "very poor." Major flight cancellations were caused by fog at the airport; the air quality is still dangerous and there has been a noticeable increase in health problems.

Today's Delhi AQI: Residents of Delhi are still struggling with the problem of air pollution, as the national capital's air quality was classified as "very poor" on Monday morning. On December 22, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) rating of 366.

According to statistics from the CPCB's Sameer app at 8:05 am, seven of the city's 39 monitoring stations reported "severe" air quality, while the rest stations recorded "very poor" levels. The other six had AQI levels between 401 and 408, with Narela having the worst score of 418.

Monday's maximum and minimum temperatures are predicted to be between 20 and 22 degrees Celsius and 8 to 10 degrees Celsius, respectively, according to the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) yellow alert and moderate fog forecast.

In response to the declining and stagnant air quality throughout Delhi-NCR, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) implemented all of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage-IV measures. The authorities have implemented a number of restrictions under GRAP-IV, ranging from prohibitions on non-essential construction operations and limitations on the admission of specific diesel cars to increased enforcement to reduce sources of pollution.

On Sunday, flight operations at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) were disrupted by low visibility caused by thick fog. Over 105 flights—55 arrivals and 52 departures—were canceled at Delhi airport due to poor visibility. On December 22, more than 450 planes were delayed, according to PTI.

"Low Visibility Procedures are in progress at Delhi Airport," the airport advised travelers this morning.

Images from Delhi's ITO depict the nation's capital covered in haze.

Toxic smog's effects on health
Discussing the consequences of living in ‘very poor’ air quality, Internal Medicine Specialist Dr S. Chatterjee, in an interview with ANI, stated, “The number of patients reporting to hospitals and clinics has really substantially increased. Individuals with asthma episodes, bronchitis, runny noses, sneezing, blocked noses, coughing, dyspnea, and underlying lung diseases including interstitial lung disease or lung fibrosis are being seen.

"Normally, we have a better capability to fight these changes during the change of season," the doctor continued, attributing the increase in occurrences of seasonal illness to poor air quality. However, this time, the numbers have significantly increased. To reduce pollution, the city's residents and the administration must work together.