Air Pollution

Delhi AQI 'moderate'; GRAP stage-II curbs revoked as air quality improves

Light showers on Wednesday helped improve Delhi's air quality to moderate; CAQM lifts stage-II GRAP curbs as IMD forecasts AQI to stay in poor to moderate range over the next few days

CAQM revokes Grap II curbs in Delhi-NCR after air quality improves

The pollution monitoring body said Delhi's AQI has improved to 214 due to favourable weather and that forecasts indicated it was likely to remain in the poor to moderate category in the coming days

Delhi air quality worsens to 'poor' despite favourable weather; AQI at 259

Air quality dips back into 'poor' category with several monitoring stations recording 'very poor' levels; IMD forecasts rising temperatures for today, and light rain with gusty winds on February 18

Delhi AQI slips into 'poor' category; IMD forecasts rising temperatures

Light haze envelops Delhi as overall AQI reaches 209 at 8 am; 26 monitoring stations record 'poor' air quality and 13 remain 'moderate' even as weather remains and temperatures rise

Delhi AQI improves but remains 'poor'; haze lingers while mercury rises

Several stations report better readings compared to the previous day, yet Delhi's overall AQI stays 'poor' as misty mornings continue and maximum temperatures climb

A 'smog season' discount is another threat to Indian companies' earnings

The total economic cost of air pollution in India could have been as much as $260 billion in 2024, according to an analysis by Dalberg Advisors, which included impacts of reduced worker productivity

Pollution needs year-round action, says CM as Delhi gets six new stations

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday said pollution control requires sustained, year-round action, inaugurating six new Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System (CAAQMS) stations to expand real-time tracking of air quality across the capital. She also flagged off 100 'Vayu Rakshak' vehicles for stricter monitoring, and enforcement of pollution control norms. Addressing an event at the Delhi Secretariat, Gupta said the government is working towards comprehensive citywide monitoring and long-term policy action to address pollution at its source. "Our aim is to ensure that for every 25 sq km area in Delhi, there is at least one air quality monitoring station so that we get complete and accurate data on pollution levels and their sources," she said. The six new monitoring stations set up by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) are located at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Indira Gandhi National Open University, Netaji Subhas University of Technology West Campus

GreenCell Mobility to deploy 570 e-buses in Delhi over next few months

Eversource Capital-promoted GreenCell Mobility on Monday announced it will deploy 570 electric buses in Delhi over the next few months as part of the Delhi Government's e-bus project. The 12-metre, air-conditioned electric city buses with higher battery capacities, specifically designed to meet Delhi's operating requirements and challenging road conditions, will operate from depots at Rajghat, Dilshad Garden, and Seemapuri, strengthening commuter connectivity and enhancing the quality of public transport services across key routes in the city, Greencell Mobility said. Earlier late last month, the company had announced securing USD 89-million mezzanine funding from International Finance Corporation (IFC), British International Investment (BII) and Tata Capital to support its electric vehicle operations pan-India. The deployment follows the completion of the USD 89 million investment round, reflecting strong institutional confidence in GreenCell Mobility's ability to deliver scalable

Delhi AQI today: Air quality improves slightly but remains 'poor'

A marginal dip in pollution levels was recorded across Delhi on Thursday morning, though air quality stayed in the poor category with smog lingering in several areas despite weather-related relief

Thar desert dust storms may be bringing disease-linked bacteria to Himalayas

Dust storms from western India can ferry disease-linked bacteria to the Eastern Himalayas, reshaping mountain air and raising public health concerns, a new Indian study shows

Delhi air quality worsens to 'poor' after brief respite; AQI at 256

Early morning fog sharply reduced visibility across the capital, slowing traffic, while flights at IGI Airport operated under low-visibility protocols as the AQI remained in the poor category

Planting bushes, mechanised sweeping urged to curb dust in cities: Minister

The government is encouraging mechanised sweeping and planting of bushes to control dust in cities, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday. Responding to a supplementary during Question Hour, Union Environment minister Bhupender Yadav said to control dust pollution, a city-specific plan is prepared. Under the plan, "greening" is carried out based on the requirement of a particular city. He said bushes help control spread of dust. The way roads are being constructed at present, states are being encouraged to go for mechanised sweeping. "In NCR too, (municipal) corporations were encouraged for mechanised sweeping to control dust," he said.

Does pollution kill Indians? Inside the government's air death divide

One ministry says there's no proof air pollution kills Indians, another pegs the toll at 1.24 million deaths a year; as Delhi-NCR's air turns hazardous again, the contradiction is back in focus

Pollution now a national health emergency, govt must act: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said pollution is no longer just an environmental issue but a national health emergency, and asserted that Parliament must discuss it as well as the government must act. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha also said that the Union Budget must put real resources behind real solutions. Gandhi said over the last few days, he has read thousands of messages from Indians about what pollution is doing to their lives. "What stood out was fear - fear for children, for parents, for tomorrow - felt by families in cities across India," Gandhi said in a Facebook post. "Pollution is no longer just an environmental issue, it is a national health emergency. Parliament must discuss it. The government must act. And this Budget must put real resources behind real solutions. Indians are not asking for reports or rhetoric. They are asking for clean air," he said. Gandhi last week had said that people are paying a heavy price for air pollution with their hea

Delhi air quality worsens to 'very poor' despite early morning showers

Air pollution in Delhi turned to 'very poor' on Sunday, with 27 stations recording AQI above 300 as light showers failed to clear smog; IMD forecasts hazy skies and cold day conditions for today

Delhi air quality worsens, remains 'poor'; IMD issues alert for rain, snow

Delhi recorded 'poor' air quality on Saturday morning as dense to very dense fog reduced visibility across north and central India, affecting several airports

Delhi air quality improves to 'poor' as rain forecast offers hope of relief

Air quality in Delhi showed marginal improvement on Friday, while IMD's forecast of rain and thunderstorms raised hopes of further respite from the serious winter pollution

Harsh words not enough, must see economic cost of air pollution: Bombay HC

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday orally observed that the impact of air pollution on the economy needed to be examined and just uttering "harsh words will not yield any results". During a hearing on the issue of air pollution, amicus curiae (friend of court) Darius Khambata cited former International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief economist Gita Gopinath's recent comments in Davos that "pollution is a major economic threat to India than trade-related challenges". In 2023, the court had taken suo motu (on its own) cognisance of increasing air pollution and passed a slew of directions to civic bodies and other authorities to take steps to deal with the problem. During the previous hearing on January 23, a bench led by Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar had slammed civic authorities for their "belligerent disregard" of its orders to mitigate air pollution and warned of halting salaries of top municipal officials. When the matter was called on Tuesday, Amicus Darius Khambata, during his ...

People paying a heavy price for air pollution with their health: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that people are paying a heavy price for air pollution with their health and the country's economy, and that children and the elderly are bearing the brunt the most. In a post on his X account, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha urged people to speak up against air pollution. He also asked them to write to him, sharing their views on how it has affected crores of Indians. "We are paying a heavy price for air pollution -- with our health and with our economy. Crores of ordinary Indians bear this burden every day," Gandhi wrote. "Children and the elderly suffer the most. Livelihoods, especially of construction workers and daily wage earners, are severely impacted," he wrote. Noting that the crisis cannot be forgotten until next winter, the former Congress president said, "The first step towards change is to raise our voices." He further asked people to share the story of "how air pollution has affected you or your loved ones" at ...

Delhi air quality turns 'moderate' after 103 days, but relief may not last

After nearly three-and-a-half months -- 103 days to be exact -- Delhi's air quality on Saturday returned to the 'moderate' category, with the average AQI recorded at 192, as rainfall brought some respite from the prolonged spell of hazardous air. According to an analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), the last time the capital recorded 'moderate' air quality was on October 13, 2025, when the Air Quality index (AQI) stood at 189. Between October 1 and October 13, Delhi witnessed nine days of 'moderate' air quality, before pollution levels deteriorated sharply. CREA's analysis showed that October 14, 2025, onwards, hazardous air pollution levels were recorded in the city, with 26 days of 'poor' AQI, 66 days of 'very poor' AQI, and 10 days of 'severe' readings. "Even Saturday's improvement to the 'moderate' range offers limited relief, as this category is known to cause breathing discomfort for people with lung disorders, asthma and heart disease," the ...