The air in New Delhi has plunged into hazardous territory for the second consecutive day, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching about 414 this morning.

 In response, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the National Capital Region (NCR), marking a critical escalation in anti-pollution action.  Under these measures, all non-essential construction and demolition activity is banned; stone-crushers, brick-kilns and hot-mix plants without clean-fuel operation are shut; older petrol/diesel vehicles (BS-III petrol & BS-IV diesel four-wheelers) are restricted in Delhi and adjoining districts. Authorities say the spike is driven by calm winds, low temperatures (minimum around 10.4 °C), and a stable atmosphere trapping pollutants near the surface.

With health risks heightened, children, older adults and those with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions are strongly advised to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary outdoor exposure. The surge again underscores the annual challenge of winter-time smog in the NCR and the urgency of sustained mitigation efforts.