New Delhi (India): Delhi is currently grappling with a severe cold wave, which has led to a significant drop in temperature and worsened air quality, with the air quality index (AQI) once again breaching the ‘very poor’ category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The temperature in the city has dropped from 6°C on Sunday to 5°C on Monday morning at 5:30 AM. Alongside the chilly weather, the AQI surged to 345 at 7 AM on Monday, a significant rise from Sunday’s reading of 246. Several areas, including Alipur, Anand Vihar, Bawana, and Burari Crossing, recorded AQI levels ranging from 350 to 397, indicating hazardous air quality. Other areas such as Dwarka Sec 8, Nehru Nagar, and Rohini saw AQI readings above 370, pushing the air quality into the ‘severe’ category.
The CPCB classifies AQI levels as follows: 0-50 (good), 51-100 (satisfactory), 101-200 (moderate), 201-300 (poor), 301-400 (very poor), and 401-500 (severe). With the ongoing cold wave, many Delhi residents are seeking refuge in night shelters. In places like Sarai Kale Khan, individuals, including those recovering from hospital stays, can be seen bundled in blankets, trying to sleep through the harsh conditions.
Vicky Kanojia, the caretaker of one such shelter, shared that they provide essential services such as meals, medicines, and ambulances for those in need, particularly destitute patients recovering from hospital stays. One shelter resident, Shyam, who is recovering from a foot fracture after an accident, appreciated the care, saying, “I have received all the amenities, including meals and medicines.”
Meanwhile, in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad, residents have resorted to sitting by bonfires to keep warm, as the city experiences dense fog and a temperature drop. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) confirmed that Moradabad is enduring a ‘Cold Wave,’ with a minimum temperature of 8°C recorded today.