Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Jan 13: A biting cold wave tightened its grip on the national capital on Tuesday, with minimum temperatures dipping to around 4 degrees Celsius, while dense fog lingered and air quality remained firmly in the “very poor” category, officials said.

According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 337 at 8 am, placing it in the ‘very poor’ bracket. Several monitoring stations across the city recorded alarmingly high pollution levels, with Anand Vihar registering an AQI of 411, Chandni Chowk 380, Wazirpur 375, Rohini 397 and Dwarka Sector 8 at 384.

Other areas including Nehru Nagar, Jahangirpuri, RK Puram, Patparganj, Vivek Vihar and Siri Fort also reported AQI levels ranging between 340 and 370, indicating widespread pollution across the capital.

The cold conditions followed an intense chill a day earlier, when several parts of Delhi recorded the lowest temperatures of the season. Ayanagar reported a minimum of 2.9 degrees Celsius, the lowest in the city, while Palam recorded 3.0 degrees Celsius — its coldest night in several years, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

IMD officials said cold wave conditions prevailed across parts of the city and similar weather is likely to continue in the coming days. Authorities have advised residents to take necessary precautions against prolonged exposure to extreme cold and polluted air as harsh winter conditions persist.