Delhi air quality remains poor; IMD forecasts rise in minimum temperature

Delhi's overall AQI recorded at 295 in the poor category; IMD forecasts a rise in minimum temperature with mainly clear skies and misty conditions during morning hours in the national capital

The air quality in the national capital remained in the ‘poor’ category on Wednesday, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 295, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

 

Data from the CPCB’s Sameer app showed that 20 monitoring stations were in the ‘very poor’ category, 16 recorded ‘poor’ air quality, and two stations reported ‘moderate’ conditions.

 

AQI readings stood at 320 in Anand Vihar, 313 in Bawana, 325 at Chandni Chowk, 273 in Dwarka Sector 8, 224 at IGI Airport (T3), 355 at ITO, 332 in Narela, 299 in Punjabi Bagh, 278 in RK Puram, 378 in Wazirpur, and 349 in Rohini. Areas around India Gate and Kartavya Path recorded AQI levels of 355, while Akshardham Temple reported 325, both classified as ‘very poor’.

 

 

As per official classification, AQI between 0 and 50 is ‘good’, 51 to 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 ‘poor’, 301 to 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 to 500 ‘severe’.

 

Delhi records 10 severe AQI days this winter

 

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, the government said Delhi recorded 10 days of ‘severe’ air quality, defined as AQI above 401, during the October to January winter season of 2025-26. This is a significant decline from 31 such days in 2016-17, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said.

 

He added that focused interventions under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) have contributed to reductions in particulate pollution levels across 130 cities.

 

The worsening air quality has also triggered political sparring. On Tuesday, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) questioned the credibility of Delhi’s pollution data and criticised the BJP government’s decision to install six new AQI monitoring stations in green and open areas.

 

AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that the Rekha Gupta-led government was attempting to artificially lower AQI readings by shifting monitoring infrastructure to greener zones instead of implementing substantive anti-pollution measures.

 

Delhi weather outlook

 

Delhi woke up to a misty and slightly chilly morning on Wednesday. The India Meteorological Department has forecast a mainly clear sky with mist during the morning hours.

 

The minimum temperature is expected to range between 10 degrees Celsius and 12 degrees Celsius, while the maximum temperature is likely to be between 25 degrees Celsius and 27 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature at Safdarjung settled at 13.2 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, three notches above normal.