Delhi's air quality improves on Republic Day, remains in 'poor' category

Despite marginal improvements, Delhi's air quality stayed in the poor category on Republic Day with around 13 stations recording moderate levels while Anand Vihar remained worst hit at 300

Delhi woke up to moderate fog as air quality remained ‘poor’ on Republic Day, with persistent smog and unhealthy air continuing to trouble the national capital. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was 209 at 8 am, placing it in the ‘poor’ category. While this was a moderate improvement compared with deeper pollution levels seen recently, the air quality still fell short of safe norms for residents.

 

Of the capital’s 39 monitoring stations, 24 registered air quality in the poor category, while 13 stations recorded levels in the moderate range. Data was unavailable for one of the stations at the time of writing the report.

 

#WATCH | Preparation visuals from Kartavya Path ahead of the 77th Republic Day Parade. pic.twitter.com/JitWlc9CJ1

— ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2026

Anand Vihar emerged as the worst-affected area, with its AQI at the 300 mark — close to the threshold between ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ categories. Other key monitoring points also reported elevated fine particulate matter.

 

Some AQI hotspots:

• Chandni Chowk: 286
• Jahangirpuri: 276
• Nehru Nagar: 291
• Pusa: 266
• Vivek Vihar: 253

Weather conditions bring only slight relief

Meteorological factors such as cooler temperatures and light winds typical of January are inhibiting the dispersion of pollutants, compounding the smog problem. Although occasional breezes have helped bring short-lived relief in recent days, weather patterns have generally favoured pollution accumulation near ground level. According to recent reports, winter generally sees air quality fluctuate between poor and very poor levels in Delhi due to stagnant conditions and seasonal emissions.

Weather forecast for today

In Delhi, Republic Day celebrations at Kartavya Path are expected to commence under morning fog. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a partly cloudy sky, becoming generally cloudy by night. Shallow to moderate fog is likely during the morning, with minimum temperatures ranging from 4 to 6 degrees Celsius, keeping the day cold.