Delhi wakes up to thick blanket of smog as AQI remains severe

The AQI in the national capital was recorded at 455, according to data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Many areas experienced low visibility due to smog, making it difficult for travellers.

Visuals from the area near Akshardham temple in Pandav Nagar showed the area engulfed in dense smog, with the iconic structure barely visible from a distance on a winter morning amid a severe cold wave.

#WATCH | A layer of smog covers parts of Delhi NCR. Visuals from the area near Swaminarayan Akshardham temple in Pandav Nagar. AQI in the area, as claimed by CPCB, is 455, falling in the ‘severe’ category. pic.twitter.com/dDI43vFA0f

— ANI (@ANI) January 19, 2026

Dense fog shrouded Dhaula Kuan on a chilly morning as the cold wave gripped the national capital.

#WATCH | Visuals from Dhaula Kuan as Delhi-NCR wakes up to a dense smog covering parts of the National Capital. AQI in the area, as claimed by CPCB, is 455, falling in the ‘severe’ category. pic.twitter.com/ZWzkOOjrcu

— ANI (@ANI) January 19, 2026

Visuals from the Delhi–Meerut Expressway showed reduced visibility and chilling conditions as commuters braved the harsh winter spell.

VIDEO | Delhi: A cold wave gripped the national capital, with visuals from the Delhi–Meerut Expressway showing reduced visibility and chilling conditions as commuters braved the harsh winter spell.#DelhiColdWave #NationalCapital #WinterWave

(Full VIDEO available on PTI Videos… pic.twitter.com/kbcuGjUt28

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 19, 2026

Delhi air turns ‘severe’

Delhi saw a significant deterioration of air quality on Sunday, with the city recording an AQI (air quality index) of 444 in the ‘Severe category’, compared to 400 a day before, when it was in the ‘Very Poor’ category. Among the neighbouring cities, Noida also saw its average AQI rising from 388 the day before to 430 on Sunday. Gurgaon fared slightly better with an AQI of 378, even as it was higher than the previous day’s 360.

This comes a day after the anti-pollution watchdog, Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), invoked the strictest anti-pollution measures under Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi-NCR. Hybrid mode for schools and offices, restriction on construction work and ban on entry of polluting vehicles are among the curbs imposed under GRAP’s Stage IV.

Meanwhile, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) bulletin, the maximum temperature in the Capital settled at 22.7 degrees Celsius, around 3 degrees above normal, on Sunday, while the minimum temperature settled at 5.3 degrees Celsius, 2.3 degrees below normal.