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What is Air Quality Index (AQI)

Air Quality Index

About Air Quality Index

What is Air Quality Index (AQI)

The air quality index (AQI) is an index for reporting air quality on a daily basis. It is a measure of how air pollution affects one's health within a short time period. The purpose of the AQI is to help people know how the local air quality impacts their health. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calculates the AQI for five major air pollutants, for which national air quality standards have been established to safeguard public health.

 
1. Ground-level ozone
2. Particle pollution/particulate matter (PM2.5/pm 10)
3. Carbon Monoxide
4. Sulfur dioxide
5. Nitrogen dioxide
 
The higher the AQI value, the greater the level of
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Latest Updates on Air Quality Index

Delhi AQI eases to 'poor', yet smog continues to disrupt flights, travel

Delhi's air auality index eased to 260 on Monday, but fog and trapped pollutants kept much of Delhi in the 'poor' and 'very poor' category

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Updated On : 05 Jan 2026 | 9:52 AM IST

Delhi AQI today: Air quality improves to 'poor'; Grap III curbs lifted

Air quality in Delhi improved slightly with AQI improving to 'poor' and prompting CAQM to ease some curbs. However, fog and low visibility are expected to cause some travel disruptions

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Updated On : 03 Jan 2026 | 9:10 AM IST

Delhi air quality improves to 'very poor'; many flights delayed due to fog

Second day of new year sees minor improvement in Delhi's air quality, but fog and pollution persist across most stations; AQI at 311

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Updated On : 02 Jan 2026 | 9:03 AM IST

Delhi rings in New Year with 'very poor' air; IMD issues rain alert

Average AQI stood at 372 on January 1, with eight stations in the severe category and low visibility disrupting travel across the capital as the IMD issued a rain alert

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Updated On : 01 Jan 2026 | 9:30 AM IST

Delhi's AQI stays 'severe' as nearly 100 flights cancelled due to dense fog

Delhi's air quality remains severe as dense fog disrupts flight and train services on New Year's eve, causing delays, cancellations and poor visibility across the capital

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Updated On : 31 Dec 2025 | 9:52 AM IST

Fixing India's air is achievable, but only with coordinated action

From vehicular pollution to construction dust, coordinated solutions exist. What's needed now is the will to act

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Updated On : 30 Dec 2025 | 10:27 PM IST

Delhi air quality stays 'severe' in most parts amid red alert for dense fog

Delhi experiences severe winter smog affecting visibility, travel, and daily life; IMD says conditions to remain same until January 1

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Updated On : 30 Dec 2025 | 9:05 AM IST

Delhi AQI update: Air quality worsens to 'severe'; smog disrupts visibility

Delhi recorded an average AQI above 400 as very dense fog and smog reduced visibility, disrupted flights and trains, and prompted safety advisories across the capital

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Updated On : 29 Dec 2025 | 9:06 AM IST

Delhi exploring tie-up with IIT Kanpur to find pollution sources: Sirsa

The proposed collaboration aims to strengthen Delhi's ability to identify pollution sources at a granular level, assess their impact, and enable targeted, timely interventions across sectors

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Updated On : 29 Dec 2025 | 7:00 AM IST

Akums President Finance Rajkumar Bafna resigns citing Delhi pollution

The drugmaker said Bafna will step down on December 31, 2025, after citing Delhi's pollution levels in his resignation letter

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Updated On : 28 Dec 2025 | 10:29 PM IST

Delhi's AQI 'very poor'; MeT issues 'orange' alert for dense fog on Monday

Delhi's air quality slipped to the 'very poor' category on Sunday with an AQI of 390

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Updated On : 28 Dec 2025 | 8:24 PM IST

Delhi air quality turns 'severe' as several stations record AQI above 400

Delhi's air quality remained in the severe category as dense fog, calm winds and falling temperatures trapped pollutants, prompting permanent Grap-4 curbs

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Updated On : 28 Dec 2025 | 9:07 AM IST

Delhi air quality slips into 'severe' category amid dense fog and cold wave

Calm winds and dense fog trap pollutants as seven monitoring stations record 'severe' AQI and 24 of 39 in 'very poor' category

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Updated On : 27 Dec 2025 | 9:59 AM IST

Fog blankets Delhi as air quality slips to 'very poor' again; AQI at 305

Delhi's air quality deteriorated a day after Christmas, with 24 out of 39 monitoring stations reporting very poor AQI as fog returned to the national capital

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Updated On : 26 Dec 2025 | 8:39 AM IST

Delhi breathes easier on Christmas as AQI dips below 300 after two weeks

On December 25, the AQI improved to 220, helped by strong winds, though forecasts warn of possible deterioration ahead

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Updated On : 25 Dec 2025 | 9:06 AM IST

'I get infections in Delhi': Gadkari says transport causes 40% of pollution

Amid hazardous air quality in Delhi, Nitin Gadkari acknowledges the transport sector's 40% contribution to pollution, saying he develops infections after short stays in the capital

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Updated On : 24 Dec 2025 | 2:06 PM IST

'Reduce GST on air purifiers': Delhi HC raps Centre over pollution crisis

The Delhi High Court criticised the Centre over its failure to tackle the city's air pollution and asked it to consider cutting the 18 per cent GST on air purifiers to provide relief to citizens

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Updated On : 24 Dec 2025 | 1:38 PM IST

Delhi's AQI improves to 349; govt announces fresh measures for pollution

Thick smog continues to engulf Delhi and adjoining regions. Govt unveils pollution control measures, including water body revival and DTC reforms

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Updated On : 24 Dec 2025 | 9:37 AM IST

'11 years of neglect': Delhi L-G blames Kejriwal, AAP for pollution crisis

According to Delhi L-G VK Saxena, the 10-month-old BJP government is 'trying to do everything possible' to undo the 'wrongs' of the previous AAP government

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Updated On : 23 Dec 2025 | 5:09 PM IST

Should keep politics aside and work: Robert Vadra on Delhi Air Pollution

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi was recorded in the 'hazardous' category on Tuesday morning, significantly impacting visibility and daily life

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Updated On : 23 Dec 2025 | 1:50 PM IST