Delhi Battles Severe Smog as Residents Flee and AQI Remains Critical

Delhi faces a worsening air‑quality crisis as toxic smog blankets the National Capital Region, forcing officials to label the situation severe, causing travel disruptions, and paradoxically still ranking ahead of Bengaluru and Srinagar in a 2026 clean‑air survey.

AQI readings remain in the “severe” band despite emergency actions, with the latest index hovering well above safe limits; health officials warn of increased respiratory problems, especially for children and the elderly, as the smog persists.

GRAP‑IV has been invoked, ordering work‑from‑home for many offices, limiting school attendance, restricting outdoor activities, and suspending construction work, as authorities attempt to curb exposure while a delayed monsoon stalls natural cleansing.

Residents dubbed “pollution refugees” are relocating to nearby towns, with thousands moving and even changing professions to avoid the smog, highlighting the social and economic strain the prolonged haze places on the capital’s population.