On Saturday, the air quality in Delhi sharply declined, with several areas recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) exceeding 400, categorizing it as 'severe.' The toxic haze has pushed the national capital into the 'red zone,' making it one of the most polluted cities in the country. According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the 24-hour average AQI for Delhi was measured at 361 by 4 PM, placing it second among the most polluted cities nationwide. The previous day, the AQI was recorded at 322, which was the highest in the country at that time.

Among the 38 monitoring stations in the city, many areas reported particularly high pollution levels. The CPCB's Sameer app indicated that the AQI in Wazirpur reached 420, followed by Burari at 418, Vivek Vihar at 411, Nehru Nagar at 406, Alipur at 404, and ITO at 402, all classified as 'severe.' The air quality remained poor in the National Capital Region as well, with Noida recording an AQI of 354, Greater Noida at 336, and Ghaziabad at 339, all falling into the 'very poor' category.

PM 2.5 and PM 10 were identified as the primary pollutants, resulting in dense fog covering the city. The Decision Support System (DSS) for air quality forecasting estimated that stubble burning contributes approximately 30% to Delhi's pollution, while emissions from vehicles account for 15.2%. Satellite imagery revealed that on Friday, there were 100 incidents of stubble burning in Punjab, 18 in Haryana, and 164 in Uttar Pradesh.