New Delhi: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has drawn his followers' attention to Delhi’s worsening air pollution through his satirical post on X, sharing a screenshot that showed the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) at a “hazardous” 371.
The image, taken from a live air quality monitoring platform, displayed PM2.5 levels at 259 per cubic meter, more than 50 times the World Health Organization’s safe annual limit.
Have a look at his post here:
AQI Crosses Hazardous Mark as Capital Chokes
The screenshot shared by Tharoor showed pollutant concentrations far above safe thresholds: PM10 at 315 per cubic meter and PM2.5 at 259 per cubic meter. The reading placed Delhi’s air firmly in the “hazardous” category, the highest on the scale, implying severe health risks for all residents. The image also recorded a temperature of 19°C, humidity at 56 percent, and overcast skies, with moderate winds of 14 km/h.
According to the Air Quality Index scale, values above 300 are considered hazardous, while those between 201 and 300 fall in the “severe” range. Environmental experts attribute the high readings to a combination of vehicular emissions, construction dust, industrial output and crop residue burning in Punjab and Haryana, worsened by stagnant weather conditions and low wind speeds.
Delhi Wakes to Smog-Laden Skies
On Thursday morning, Delhi woke up to a blanket of haze, with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recording the city’s overall AQI at 278, classified as “poor”. The Air Quality Early Warning System predicted a further dip into the “very poor” category by evening.
The minimum temperature was recorded at 12.7°C, about 2.6°C below normal, with humidity at 75 percent at 8:30 am. Maximum temperature is expected to reach around 29°C, with intermittent mist or haze persisting through the day.
Environmental observers warned that severe air quality is likely to continue through mid-November, as stubble burning peaks and meteorological conditions limit pollutant dispersion.
