CM REKHA GUPTA RAMPS UP DUST-CONTROL DRIVE AS DELHI CHOKES

Delhi woke up to another day of hazardous air as pollution levels stayed in the 'very poor' category across the capital.

- TDG NETWORK

New Delhi woke up to another morning of toxic smog on Friday, with air quality remaining firmly in the 'very poor' category, even as the Delhi government stepped up ground-level pollution control measures and Parliament saw rare bipartisan calls for a comprehensive national strategy to tackle the crisis.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the city's average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 329 at 7 am. Several pollution hotspots recorded even worse readings, with Anand Vihar and Ghazipur touching 386, Wazirpur at 382, Sonia Vihar at 338, Bawana at 365 and Dhaula Kuan at 337. Only a few pockets, such as NSIT Dwarka, saw relatively lower levels, though still in the 'poor' range. A dense haze continued to blanket large parts of the capital, severely reducing visibility, while neighbouring Haryana also reported thick fog and low temperatures.

Against this backdrop, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said her government was working on multiple fronts to deliver a permanent and sustainable solution to pollution, with a sharp focus on controlling dust. Addressing officials during an inspection visit to Shalimar Bagh, Gupta said eliminating dust pollution was a top priority and that wall-to-wall roads were being constructed across the capital at an accelerated pace to curb flying dust along road edges.