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Delhi recorded its lowest January-November average air quality index (AQI) since 2018, barring the Covid lockdown year of 2020, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said on Sunday. The average AQI for the period this year was 187, compared to 201 in 2024, 190 in 2023, 199 in 2022, 197 in 2021, 172 in 2020, 203 in 2019 and 213 in 2018, the CAQM said in a statement. Only three days saw the daily average AQI exceed 400 (severe category) between January and November this year. There were 11 such days in 2024, 12 in 2023, four in 2022, 17 in 2021, 11 in 2020, 16 in 2019 and 12 in 2018. Not a single day has crossed the 450 mark so far this year, the statement said. PM2.5 concentration for the period up to November 27 was the lowest since 2018 and at par with 2020. The average stood at 85 micrograms per cubic metre this year, against 98 in 2024, 90 in 2023 and 2022, 95 in 2021, 85 in 2020, 99 in 2019 and 103 in 2018. PM10 levels were also the lowest for the corresponding peri
Road dust remains a major driver of particulate pollution in the capital, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said on Sunday after its flying squads inspected 321 road stretches across Delhi under Operation Clean Air. The inspections, carried out on Saturday, were meant to check how much dust had settled on the roads and whether cleaning, sweeping and dust-suppression measures by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), and Central Public Works Department (CPWD) were working on the ground. Out of the 321 stretches checked, 35 showed high levels of visible dust, 61 had moderate dust, 94 recorded low dust and 131 had no visible dust. CAQM in a statement said the results highlight once again that road dust remains a major contributor to Delhi's particulate matter, especially in winter, and that regular mechanical sweeping, timely removal of collected dust, pavement upkeep, and water-sprinkling are essential. MCD had the largest number
The Mumbai Congress on Sunday unveiled a comprehensive action plan outlining emergency, medium-term and long-term measures to tackle the city's deteriorating air quality and growing environmental stress. The 10-point plan titled "Mumbai Congress Mission Wipe Out Pollution" focuses on emergency response during severe AQI levels, strengthening citizen health protections, large-scale afforestation, and enhancing accountability in pollution management. Former Maharashtra minister and Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad unveiled the document at Marine Drive along with other party leaders. Gaikwad, in a post on X, said that the rising pollution in Mumbai is a result of a contractor and builder-friendly, apathetic government's inaction. She accused the Mahayuti government of poisoning Mumbai's air, and alleged that its greed is threatening people's lives and the city's future. "The Mumbai Congress will fight for your fundamental right to clean air. Today, we launched our Clean Air Acti
Even though Delhi's air quality remained in the 'very poor' range on Saturday, pollution levels dipped marginally with the average AQI settling at 305 -- a slight improvement driven by favourable wind direction and speed, and the winding down of stubble burning in neighbouring regions. The air quality is expected to remain in the 'very poor' zone for the next few days. With wind speeds likely to remain on the higher side, the Air Quality Index (AQI) may not slip into the 'severe' category for at least the next two days, Mahesh Palawat, Vice President (Meteorology and Climate Change) at Skymet Weather, said. Meanwhile, Delhi continued to inhale 'unfit' air, with the average AQI recorded in the 'very poor' category for the 16th consecutive day. The capital's overall AQI settled at 305 on Saturday after logging 369 on Friday, 377 on Thursday, 327 on Wednesday, 352 on Tuesday, and 382 on Monday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). According to the CPCB, an AQI bet
The national capital recorded an AQI of 369 on Friday, extending its streak of 'very poor' air quality to half the month of November, and forecasts show no respite in the next week. The 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) settled at 369 on Friday, compared to 377 on Thursday, 327 on Wednesday, 352 on Tuesday and 382 on Monday, remaining in the 'very poor' category for the 14th consecutive day. The highest AQI in the city, at 414, was recorded in Dwarka Sector 8, the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) Sameer app showed. The air quality is likely to remain 'very poor' over the coming week, according to the forecast by the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi. Meanwhile, the Sameer app, which displays real-time pollution readings from monitoring stations across Delhi, showed that several stations -- including RK Puram, Punjabi Bagh, Nehru Nagar, Dwarka, Rohini, Jahangirpuri, and Mundka -- recorded AQI levels above the 400 mark. Out of 39 monitoring stations, a total o