Delhi-NCR records cleanest July in a decade, AQI remains 'satisfactory'

Delhi-NCR registered its cleanest July in ten years on Wednesday, with the average Air Quality Index (AQI) dipping to 67, a reading that falls in the ‘satisfactory’ category, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

 

This improvement is part of a larger trend seen so far in 2025, with the capital recording 118 days of ‘good’, ‘satisfactory’, or ‘moderate’ air quality. This marks a shift from previous years, when 'poor' to ‘severe’ air quality was more frequent during the same period.

 

According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.

 

 

Punjabi Bagh, Bawana and Vivek Vihar report lowest AQI 

Among the monitoring stations, Punjabi Bagh recorded the lowest AQI at 50, followed closely by Bawana at 51 and Vivek Vihar at 55. All three readings fall in the ‘good’ category.

 

On Thursday morning, Delhi’s air quality continued to remain in the ‘satisfactory’ range for the second day in a row, with an AQI of 76 recorded around 9 am, slightly higher than the previous day’s reading. 

 

Delhi govt credits coordination, sustained civic efforts 

Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the improvement in Delhi’s air quality was the outcome of sustained civic action and coordinated inter-departmental efforts, NDTV reported. 

“This is not a seasonal blip, it is the result of Delhi’s multi-agency implementation model, continuous landfill action, intensified sweeping operations, and a clear commitment to outcome-based governance,” Sirsa said.

 

Daily clean-up drives and landfill action continue 

In the last 24 hours, Delhi reportedly removed 10,987.21 metric tonnes (MT) of garbage and lifted 2,349.7 MT of construction and demolition (C&D) waste. Over 6,000 km of roads were cleaned, and water sprinkling was carried out across 26.35 km.

Legacy waste removal also continues at landfill sites. On July 22, a total of 923.55 MT of legacy waste was cleared — including 487.55 MT from the Bhalaswa site and 436 MT from Ghazipur.