Delhi's AQI reached 427, falling into the ‘severe’ category. Nine stations recorded ‘severe plus’ air quality, which affected the health of humans and street animals.

At 6 am on Saturday, the CPCB recorded Delhi’s AQI at 419, which placed it back in the ‘severe’ category.

The CPCB, India's official environmental watchdog, caps AQI readings at a maximum of 500, which signifies "severe" pollution levels. In contrast, international platforms often report AQI values exceeding 1,000 for the same locations, leaving the public perplexed.

Amid the persistent smog crisis affecting Delhi and other regions of North India, the following are the top 10 cities in India currently enjoying relatively clean air, as indicated by their impressive AQI readings by CPCB of November 2024.

While Delhi chokes under hazardous AQI levels above 400, five northeastern states—Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland—shine with ‘good’ air quality.

Delhi was listed as India's most polluted city Thursday as a weeks-long air quality crisis gripping northern India has shown few signs of letting up.

The AQI in Anand Vihar was recorded as 457; the AQI in Ashok Vihar was 455; Chandni Chowk's AQI was 439 and RK Puram recorded an AQI of 421.

With the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) reading 422 at 6 AM on Saturday, Delhi was once again engulfed in a dense layer of poisonous haze as the air quality fell into the "Severe" category. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB),

Experts attribute the deteriorating conditions to a mix of vehicular emissions, industrial pollution, and unfavourable weather patterns