Anti-smog gun sprays water to curb the air pollution at India Gate, in New Delhi. File
| Photo Credit: ANI
The air quality in the national capital continued to remain in the ‘severe’ category on Wednesday morning (November 12, 2025) for the second day since it worsened for the first time this season, as per official data. This comes a day after the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)-III was invoked across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR).
Breaching the 400-mark across multiple monitoring stations, Delhi’s 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) was 414 at 9 a.m., as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Among all monitoring stations, Wazirpur recorded the highest AQI of 459, categorised as ‘severe’ air quality, while NSIT Dwarka monitoring station recorded an AQI of 215, categorised as ‘poor’ air quality.
The enforcement of GRAP III, a set of emergency measures to curb rising air pollution, entails a prohibition on construction and demolition activities across the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR), as well as a ban on the plying of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Budh Nagar.
The restrictions will take effect following orders issued by the respective State governments. Existing restrictions under the first two stages of the GRAP will also remain in effect under GRAP III.
The CAQM also announced that classes up to grade 5 will shift to hybrid mode.
A ‘severe’ pollution level affects healthy people and seriously impacts those with existing diseases, according to CPCB.
The air quality is expected to improve to the ‘very poor’ category by Wednesday, according to official data.
An AQI between 51 and 100 is “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 is termed as “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”, as per the CPCB.
With ANI inputs
Published – November 12, 2025 10:10 am IST
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