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Delhi-NCR Chokes Under Severe Smog as Pollution Spikes to Alarming Levels
11 Nov
Summary
- Average AQI reaches 362 (very poor) on Monday, up from 370 on Sunday
- Visibility drops to 1,000 meters in the morning, improving to 1,500-2,000 meters by evening
- Pollution data goes missing for 10 hours due to a server issue, delaying updates
On 2025-11-11, Delhi-NCR is facing a severe air pollution crisis, with the average Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 362 (very poor) at 4 pm on Monday, up from 370 the previous day. Experts have confirmed that the haze is not fog, as it remained persistent throughout the day, indicating that pollutants were accumulating due to a drop in wind speed and the mercury.
The sharp deterioration in air quality came a day after pollution data went missing for around 10 hours, between noon and 10 pm, due to a server issue. This delay in data updates meant that the day's national bulletin, typically released around 4 pm, was not issued until after 11 pm.
By midnight on 2025-11-10, the AQI had touched 398 and crossed 400 at 1 am on 2025-11-11, making it one of the most polluted days of the season. The previous "severe" air day was on 2024-12-23, with an AQI of 406.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) is closely monitoring the situation and is expected to meet later in the day to discuss the implementation of Stage-3 measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to combat the deteriorating air quality.
