Thick Smog Engulfs Delhi, Air Quality Slips To 'Severe' Category; Dwarka Among Worst Hit

Last Updated:December 23, 2025, 08:16 IST

Delhi woke to toxic smog and severe AQI of 408, with Dwarka at 435. Poor visibility disrupted flights at IGI Airport as cold, foggy conditions worsened pollution.

The air quality has worsened in the national capital. (File photo)

Residents of Delhi woke up to a hazy Tuesday morning as a dense layer of toxic smog blanketed the city, triggering breathing discomfort and sharply reducing visibility. Air quality in the national capital deteriorated to the “severe" category, a day after it was recorded as “very poor". The city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 408 in the early morning hours, according to official data.

Several parts of Delhi registered even worse air quality. Dwarka, for instance, recorded an AQI of 435 around 5.30 am, placing it in the ‘severe’ bracket. Cold and foggy conditions prevailed across Delhi-NCR, with the minimum temperature hovering near 11°C, compounding poor visibility and worsening the impact of pollution.

The reduced visibility also led to disruption in flight operations at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), with the airport authorities issuing multiple advisories. In an advisory issued at 4 am, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) said that “Low Visibility Procedures are in progress at Delhi Airport", while adding that “all flight operations are presently normal."

On Monday, the air quality was recorded in the “very poor" category with an overall AQI reading of 373 at 4 pm, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Under the AQI classification system, readings between 0 and 50 are considered ‘good’, 51 to 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 ‘poor’, 301 to 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 to 500 ‘severe’.

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