Toxic smog chokes Delhi: Air quality turns ‘severe’ as AQI reading soars to 435

Delhi awoke to dense smog, with the average Air Quality Index at 381, placing it in the ‘very poor’ category despite GRAP-IV measures. Bawana recorded ‘severe’ pollution at 435. Authorities revised GRAP, shifting ‘severe’ AQI measures to Stage III, allowing work-from-home decisions for government and private offices.