A thick layer of smog engulfs the Raisina Hills, in New Delhi.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Delhi’s air quality continued to remain a serious concern, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 346 at 7 a.m. on Friday (January 16, 2026), placing it in the ‘very poor’ category, according to data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Several areas across the national capital reported AQI levels above 300.
Anand Vihar recorded 354, Ashok Vihar 367, ITO 362, and RK Puram 374. Patparganj recorded an AQI of 372, Wazirpur 374, Chandni Chowk 370, and Dwarka Sector 8 369, according to CPCB data as of 7 a.m.
As per AQI classification, a reading between 0 and 50 is ‘good’, 51 to 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 ‘poor’, 301 to 400 ‘very poor’ and 401 to 500 ‘severe’.
The national capital is also experiencing a cold wave, with temperatures dipping to around 5.4 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).Several airports across northern and eastern India witnessed severely reduced visibility due to dense to very dense fog, according to official data reported at 5.30 a.m..
According to the visibility report, airports in Amritsar, Adampur, Chandigarh, Pathankot, Hindon, and Saharanpur recorded zero metres of visibility, with very dense fog prevailing in these regions.
Extremely poor visibility was reported across Punjab, Chandigarh, and parts of western Uttar Pradesh, raising concerns about delays and disruptions in air and surface transport.
Palam reported 800 metres of visibility and Safdarjung 700 metres in Shallow fog on Friday (January 16, 2026).
Meanwhile, moderate fog conditions were observed at several other locations. Varanasi and Jammu reported visibility of 200 metres, while Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh recorded 350 metres visibility. Kanpur and Gorakhpur saw visibility improve slightly to around 400 metres.
A day earlier, Delhi’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was 352 at 8 a.m., placing in the ‘very poor’ category, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Published – January 16, 2026 08:36 am IST
