Delhi AQI Remains ‘Poor’ At 229, Mumbai Wakes Up To Hazy Skies Amid Smog

New Delhi: Delhi's air quality continued to remain in the 'poor' category on Thursday morning, with the city-level Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 229, slightly above Wednesday's reading of 228, according to the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) All India AQI portal. 

Meanwhile, parts of Mumbai in Maharashtra witnessed hazy conditions as a layer of smog reduced visibility. Visuals from Bandra Reclamation showed haze covering the skyline. 
Uttam Nagar reported the highest AQI at 339, followed by Mundka at 336 and Dwarka Sector 8 at 307. CRRI Mathura Road recorded an AQI of 297, while Jahangirpuri registered 294.

Punjabi Bagh and Vivek Vihar reported readings of 286 and 277, respectively. Lodhi Road recorded the lowest AQI among Delhi's reporting stations at 129. Ghoga followed with a reading of 132, while IMD Lodhi Road registered 148. All three stations fell within the 'moderate' category.  

Pollution levels were also elevated in neighbouring cities. Noida recorded an AQI of 235, while Manesar and Gurugram registered readings of 228 and 227, respectively. Greater Noida reported an AQI of 209. In comparison, Ghaziabad recorded 171 and Faridabad 131, according to the CPCB's city-level data at 7 am. Noida, Manesar, Gurugram and Greater Noida fell in the 'poor' category, while Ghaziabad and Faridabad remained in the 'moderate' category.  

Air quality levels varied across the country. Among the 264 cities with valid readings in the uploaded CPCB dataset, Bhiwadi in Rajasthan recorded the highest AQI at 296. Pithampur in Madhya Pradesh followed at 291, while Panchgaon in Haryana registered 275. Kaithal and Ballabgarh in Haryana recorded AQI readings of 265 and 263, respectively. 

On the other hand, Aizawl in Mizoram recorded the lowest AQI at 21, placing it in the 'good' category. Suakati in Odisha followed at 23, while Nayagarh in the state registered 24. Raipur in Chhattisgarh and Baripada in Odisha both recorded an AQI of 25.