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Delhi Chokes Under Severe Smog as Air Quality Plummets
13 Nov
Summary
- Delhi's air quality remains in severe category for 3rd straight day
- Air quality index reaches 405, only slight improvement from previous day
- Authorities activate stage 3 measures, ban private vehicle use
On the morning of November 13, 2025, residents of Delhi woke up to another day shrouded in dense smog, as the city's air quality remained in the severe category for the third consecutive day. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, the average air quality index (AQI) stood at 405 around 8 AM, only a slight improvement from the 418 recorded the previous day.
The situation has been steadily deteriorating throughout the week. On November 11, Delhi's AQI had touched 428, the highest level since December 19 of the previous year, when it had reached 451. In response, the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region activated stage three measures of the Graded Response Action Plan, which includes a ban on all private and non-essential construction activities, as well as restrictions on the use of private BS3 petrol and BS4 diesel vehicles across Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Budh Nagar.
As the pollution levels continued to soar, the Department of Education issued an order on November 11 directing that primary schools up to class five would now operate in a hybrid mode, with a combination of in-person and online classes.
