Post by : Rameen Ariff

Delhi’s air quality deteriorated sharply on Thursday as dense smog settled over the capital, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported an AQI of 352 — roughly an 80-point rise from earlier this week.

Outlying urban areas such as Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurgaon also slipped into the ‘very poor’ category. Specific localities recorded alarmingly high readings: Vivek Vihar (AQI 415) and Anand Vihar (AQI 409) were in the ‘severe’ band, while Wazirpur reached 394. By comparison, values between 0 and 50 are rated ‘good.’

The plunge in air quality coincided with the Delhi government’s first cloud seeding exercise in more than five decades, carried out with technical support from IIT Kanpur. Officials said the operation aimed to induce rainfall to wash away pollutants but did not succeed because atmospheric moisture was insufficient. IIT Kanpur scientists noted that effective cloud seeding typically requires around 50–60% humidity, whereas the trial encountered only 10–15% moisture in the clouds.

Authorities moved to GRAP II level controls in response, enforcing restrictions including limits on construction activity. In addition, a ban on non-BS-VI commercial vehicles entering the capital will take effect from November 1 as part of broader measures to curb emissions.

With visibility reduced and particulate concentrations high, health officials urged residents to exercise caution, particularly children, older adults and people with respiratory conditions. The unsuccessful cloud seeding experiment has underscored the urgency of durable policy solutions to address Delhi’s long-standing air pollution problem.

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