City

Delhi witnessed yet another dawn with a blanket of toxic air on Wednesday, as the capital recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 426 in the "severe" category, which followed the coldest night of the season in the city so far.

The city's minimum temperature dropped to 11.1 degrees Celsius on Tuesday night, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The drop in temperature combined with dense fog has blanketed the national capital, reducing visibility to 500 metres as of 8.30 am. The IMD has forecast dense fog to persist throughout the day.

Delhi had an AQI reading of 426 at 9 am on Wednesday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

An AQI of 400 or higher is classified as "severe," posing health risks to healthy individuals and those with pre-existing medical conditions. All but one of the 38 monitoring stations in the national capital were in the red zone. The Lodhi Road station was not in the red zone recording an AQI in the "very poor" category.

Delhi's air quality first breached the "severe plus" category on Sunday, leading to the implementation of Stage IV restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan on Monday morning.

These measures include a complete ban on construction and demolition activities and suspension of physical classes in schools.

Half of the staff of Delhi government offices will work from home in view of the pollution levels in the city, Environment minister Gopal Rai said today. 

Implementation of the provision will be discussed in a meeting with the officers later in the day, he said in a post on X.  Earlier, the government announced staggered office timings for its offices and the MCD.

The timings of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) offices were fixed from 8.30 am to 5 pm, while that of Delhi government offices were 10 am to 6.30 pm.

Delhi's iconic Sarojini Nagar Market along with Malcha Market and Aliganj Market are set for a major transformation as New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) unveiled a major revamp plan. 

The NDMC Vice Chairman Kuljeet Singh Chahal on Tuesday unveiled plans to redevelop three major markets as part of Phase-I of its urban renewal initiative.  Chahal outlined the council's vision to modernise and improve urban spaces in alignment with the Delhi Master Plan 2021.

Sarojini Nagar, famous for its budget-friendly fashion finds, will undergo a complete makeover, with plans to convert the currently mixed-use building into a fully commercial hub.  The redevelopment will see the ground floor, first floor, second floor, and part of the third floor dedicated to retail and commercial spaces, offering more room for shoppers and boosting the market’s revenue potential, Chahal said.

"This revamp aims to preserve the market's cultural charm while transforming it into a more organised and modern shopping centre, attracting even more visitors and vendors," he added.