Delhi air quality deteriorates to 'very poor' levels, AQI crosses 300

Nehru Nagar in south Delhi recorded highest pollution levels among city neighbourhoods, with an AQI of 351. In contrast, NSIT Dwarka in southwest Delhi recorded 195, falling under 'moderate' category

Don't want to miss the best from Business Standard?

Delhi’s air quality deteriorated sharply on Monday, moving from the ‘poor’ category to ‘very poor,’ as most monitoring stations registered AQI above 300. A shallow layer of fog settled over the region, reducing visibility and trapping pollutants near the surface.  

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Ananda Vihar recorded an AQI of 327 at 8 am, placing it in the ‘very poor’ category. Nehru Nagar in South Delhi recorded the highest pollution levels among city neighbourhoods, with an AQI of 351. In contrast, NSIT Dwarka in Southwest Delhi recorded 195, falling under the ‘moderate’ category.

 

Other pollution hotspots also reported very poor readings: Bawana (337), Jahangirpuri (319), Mundka (330), Punjabi Bagh (326), Shadipur (325), and Wazirpur (321).

 

In the National Capital Region (NCR), Noida emerged as the most polluted city on Monday with an AQI of 316, while Faridabad recorded the lowest among nearby cities at 208 (‘poor’ category). Greater Noida and Ghaziabad recorded AQIs of 288 and 291, respectively, both within the ‘poor’ range.

 

As per CPCB norms, AQI is categorised as 0–50 ‘good’, 51–100 ‘satisfactory’, 101–200 ‘moderate’, 201–300 ‘poor’, 301–400 ‘very poor’ and 401–500 ‘severe’.

 

Delhi-NCR records best air quality in 8 years

 

Despite Monday’s spike, Delhi recorded its lowest January-November average AQI since 2018 (excluding the Covid lockdown year of 2020), the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said. The average AQI this year stood at 187, compared to 201 in 2024 and 190 in 2023.

 

Notably, only three days between January and November saw daily average AQI exceed 400 (severe category), compared to 11 such days in 2024 and 12 in 2023. No day has crossed the 450 mark so far this year.

 

PM2.5 concentration up to November 27 was the lowest since 2018, averaging 85 µg/m³, matching 2020 levels. In comparison, it was 98 in 2024 and 103 in 2018. PM10 concentration averaged 183 µg/m³, lower than 205 in 2024 and 228 in 2018.

 

Weather forecast for today

 

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast colder conditions in northern India from December 3 to 5, with temperatures expected to drop by 2-3 degrees Celsius. Both minimum and maximum temperatures are likely to remain below normal by 1.6 degrees Celsius to 5 degrees Celsius during this period.

 

Delhi recorded its coldest November in five years, with an average minimum temperature of 11.5 degrees Celsius. For Monday, IMD predicts a mainly clear sky, with shallow fog in some areas during the morning. Maximum temperature is expected around 25 degrees Celsius and minimum around 9 degrees Celsius.