On January 14, 2026, Delhi was enveloped in dense fog, a cold wave, and toxic air, disrupting daily life. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, the city's overall Air Quality Index stood at 357 at 7 a.m., falling in the 'very poor' category. This has severely impacted public health and transportation.
Delhi awoke to biting cold and deteriorating air quality on the morning of January 14, 2026. Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed the overall Air Quality Index at 357 at 7 a.m., a decline from 337 the previous day on January 13. This places it in the 'very poor' category, where levels between 301 and 400 pose significant health risks.
Conditions were particularly dire in several neighborhoods. Jahangirpuri recorded an AQI of 420, entering the 'severe' category (401-500). Anand Vihar stood at 366, Bawana at 361, RK Puram at 407, Dwarka Sector-8 at 403, Punjabi Bagh at 366, Wazirpur at 386, and Chandni Chowk at 397. The India Gate area reported 378.
The cold wave persisted, with minimum temperatures around 3-4 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), which forecasts similar conditions throughout the day. Dense fog reduced visibility, disrupting road and air traffic. The Indira Gandhi International Airport issued an advisory for low visibility procedures. Fog also blanketed Moradabad and Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, while flights in Mumbai and Chennai faced delays.
Amid these challenges, rehearsals for the 77th Republic Day parade continued at Kartavya Path, with heightened security and traffic measures in place. Air quality in other cities was relatively better: Ahmedabad at 139, Bengaluru at 88, Chennai at 108, Hyderabad at 81, Jaipur at 211 (poor), Lucknow at 193, Mumbai at 118, Patna at 136, and Pune at 149 (all moderate).
