Delhi woke up to a hazardous blanket of toxic smog on Monday as Air Quality Index (AQI) levels breached the 1,500 mark in multiple areas, forcing authorities to implement Stage iV of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap). This emergency-level action is aimed at curbing pollution as the city’s air quality plunged into the ‘severe-plus’ category. 

 According to Swiss air technology firm IQAir, AQI readings across Delhi ranged from 1,300 to 1,600 on Monday morning, marking the city’s air quality as ‘hazardous’. The worst-hit areas were:  

 The IQAir data combines readings from its own sensors and government monitoring stations, painting a grim picture of the air quality crisis.   

Meanwhile, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported Delhi’s overall AQI at 485, as per its Sameer app. The data showed air quality across most parts of the city hovering between 470 and 500 — squarely in the ‘severe-plus’ category.