Page 3 - Air Quality

Delhi's air quality worsens on Diwali eve as 24 stations slip into red zone

Delhi's air quality inched close to the "very poor" category on Sunday as pollution levels continued to rise. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the city recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 296 at 4 pm, placing it in the "poor" category. An AQI reading between 301 and 400 falls in the "very poor" category. Out of the 38 monitoring stations in the national capital, 12 reported air quality in the "very poor" range. Anand Vihar recorded the highest AQI at 430, followed by Wazirpur (364), Vivek Vihar (351), Dwarka (335), and RK Puram (323). Other areas such as Siri Fort, Dilshad Garden, and Jahangirpuri reported an AQI of 318. Punjabi Bagh stood at 313, Nehru Nagar at 310, Ashok Vihar at 305, and Bawana at 304, CPCB data showed. The city recorded a maximum temperature of 33.3 degrees Celsius, 0.9 degrees above the season's average, while the minimum temperature settled at 20.6 degrees Celsius, 2.2 degrees above normal, according to the India Meteorological ...

Delhi records minimum temperature of 20.6 degrees Celsius, AQI rises to 284

Delhi on Sunday recorded a minimum temperature of 20.6 degrees Celsius, 2.2 notches above the seasonal average, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. Relative humidity stood at 71 per cent at 8.30 am. The IMD has forecast mainly clear skies during the day. The maximum temperature is likely to settle around 33 degrees Celsius. Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) remained in the 'poor' category, with a reading of 284 at 9 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'. Out of the 38 monitoring stations in Delhi, 12 reported air quality in the 'very poor' category. Anand Vihar recorded the highest AQI at 430. Wazirpur recorded an AQI of 364, Vivek Vihar 351, Dwarka 335, RK Puram 323, Siri Fort, Dilshad Garden and Jahangirpuri 318, Punjabi Bagh 313, Nehru Nagar 310, Ashok Vihar 305 and Bawana 304, CPCB

Air quality remains 'poor' in Delhi for third day, AQI rises to 237

The air quality in the national capital was recorded in the 'poor' category for the third consecutive day on Thursday morning, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 237. An AQI reading of 210 was recorded on Wednesday morning, and 201 the day before. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor' and 401 to 500 'severe'. The minimum temperature settled at 18.1 degrees Celsius, 1.5 notches below normal, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The maximum temperature is likely to settle around 32 degrees Celsius, the weather department said, forecasting mist in the morning and mainly clear sky later. The relative humidity was 87 per cent at 8.30 am, the IMD said.

Delhi air pollution system predicted very poor air quality at 80% accuracy

Delhi's air pollution forecasting system could predict "very poor and above" air quality days with more than 80 per cent accuracy in the last two winters, according to a new study published on Wednesday. The study by Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) said the city's Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) successfully forecast 83 out of 92 "very poor and above" episodes (air quality index above 300) in winter 2023-24, and 54 out of 58 such days in 2024-25. The system also improved in predicting the severe pollution days (AQI above 400). While it managed to correctly flag just one out of 15 such days in 202324, the number jumped to five out of 14 in the following winter. "The high accuracy of Delhi's early warning systems is a positive sign. Updated emission inventories can improve the accuracy further. It would enable us to have a better understanding of what pollutes Delhi's air and in what quantities," said Mohammad Rafiuddin, programme lead at CEEW. He added that

CAQM orders Punjab, Haryana to enforce zero stubble burning this harvest

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has directed Punjab and Haryana to ensure zero stubble burning during the upcoming paddy harvest season and strictly enforce measures to manage crop residue. The directions came after detailed review meetings held on Thursday and Friday with senior officers, deputy commissioners, district magistrates and police officials from 23 districts of Punjab and 22 districts of Haryana. The meetings, chaired by CAQM chairperson Rajesh Verma, focused on the states' preparedness for the season in line with the commission's directions mandating effective crop residue management. CAQM said flying squad teams will be deputed in hotspot districts of both states to monitor progress at the ground level. A dedicated CAQM cell has also been set up at Kheti Bhawan in Mohali to coordinate between Punjab and Haryana and oversee paddy residue management activities. Punjab was asked to bridge gaps in availability of crop residue management machinery, ensure

Fighting air pollution will take more than masks and symbolic fixes

The human cost is staggering. If India were to bring its pollution levels down to WHO norms, life expectancy will increase for everyone

IMD yellow alert for Delhi, rain and thunderstorms likely till Aug 15

Delhi will see cloudy skies, thunderstorms, and light to moderate rain till August 15, the IMD has forecast, as the city recorded its coldest August day in over a decade

Canadian wildfire smoke chokes Midwest, sparks air quality concerns

Smoke from Canadian wildfires hovered over several Midwestern states Saturday, bringing warnings of unhealthy air for at least the third day. Air quality alerts were in effect in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, as well as eastern Nebraska and parts of Indiana and Illinois. Forecasters said the smoky skies would remain for much of the day. Canadian environmental officials said smoke from the forest fires would persist into Sunday for some areas. The Switzerland-based air quality monitoring database IQAir, which assesses air quality in real time, listed the city of Minneapolis as having some of the worst air pollution in the world since Friday. The Air Quality Index (AQI) was expected to reach the red or unhealthy category in a large swath of Minnesota. AQI is a system used to communicate how much air pollution is in the air. It breaks pollution down into six categories and colours, along with advice on what is and is not safe to do. They range from good (the colour green) t

Delhi sees cleanest July air in 7 years; heavy rains likely in Aug-Sept

Average AQI in the national capital for July drops to 78, with 29 'satisfactory' air days; IMD predicts above-normal rainfall in the second half of monsoon

Swiss firm's pollution rankings misleading: Govt tells Parliament

The government on Thursday questioned the credibility of a global report that ranked India among the world's most polluted countries, saying the rankings could be "misleading" due to limitations in data sources and methodology. Replying to an unstarred question by Congress MP Pramod Tiwari in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh said the IQAir report published in March 2024 ranks countries based on average PM2.5 concentrations. "However, it must be noted that only 38 per cent of the data sources used in the report are from government agencies. The remaining 62 per cent are from other agencies and include data generated using low-cost sensors," Singh said in his written reply. He said that such sensors are not approved for regulatory use and can produce data with a significant degree of error or uncertainty. "The data from a variety of monitors and sources, especially low-cost sensors, may have inaccuracies. Moreover, the report uses ...

Delhi likely to see light rain till July 18; AQI in 'satisfactory' range

Showers bring relief to Delhi, with light rain, thunderstorms, and cloud cover expected to continue through the week; air quality remains in the 'satisfactory' category

Delhi air remains cleanest for 11 days in a row; rain predicted on Monday

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi remained in the 'satisfactory' category for the 11th consecutive day on Sunday, the cleanest spell recorded so far this year. The AQI was recorded at 76 at 4 pm on Sunday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). It has remained below 100 throughout the last 11 days, after plunging from 134 (moderate category) on June 25 to 94 (satisfactory) on June 26. According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'. The national capital recorded a maximum temperature of 35 degrees Celsius on Sunday, which is 0.5 degrees above the season's average. The minimum temperature was at 28.8 degrees Celsius, while the relative humidity stood at 83 per cent at 5.30 pm. Meanwhile, most parts of the city recorded below-normal maximum temperatures on Sunday. Safdarjung, the city's base weather station, recorded 35 deg

80 vehicles impounded as fuel ban on overage vehicles begins in Delhi

Amid high surveillance, tight security and multi-agency coordination, the fuel ban on overage vehicles kicked in Delhi on Tuesday with 80 such vehicles being impounded, officials said. Petrol pumps across Delhi have been asked not to provide fuel to end-of-life (EoL) vehicles starting Tuesday under the directions of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), with the Transport Department along with the Delhi Police and traffic personnel putting in place a detailed enforcement strategy to ensure strict compliance. According to an official from the Transport Department, 98 vehicles were captured on camera, out of which 80 were impounded -- 45 by the Transport Department, 34 by the Delhi Police and one by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). Petrol pumps either did not receive overage vehicles or they shared that there was not much of an issue on the first day. The Transport Department has chalked out a detailed deployment plan involving personnel from its organisation, Del

No fuel in Delhi for old vehicles registered anywhere in India from July 1

The Commission for Air Quality Management has formulated the plan to close the loophole Delhi residents use by registering their overage vehicles in other states

Stage-I Grap measures enforced in NCR as Delhi AQI plunges to 'poor'

The action came after Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 209, which falls under the 'Poor' category

CAQM mandates only CNG, electric vehicles for e-commerce fleets in NCR

From January 2026, no petrol or diesel vehicles can be added to aggregator fleets in NCR, with CAQM pushing for faster transition to clean mobility options

Canadian wildfire smoke reaches US Midwest, Europe; air 'very unhealthy'

Smoke from Canadian wildfires carried another day of poor air quality south of the border to the Midwest, where conditions in parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan were rated "very unhealthy" on Tuesday. The fires have forced more than 27,000 Canadians in three provinces to flee their homes, and the smoke has even reached Europe. The smell of smoke hung over the Minneapolis-St Paul area on Tuesday morning despite rain that obscured the full measure of the dirty air. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency issued an alert for almost the entire state into Wednesday, but the Twin Cities area got the worst of it in the Midwest on Tuesday. "As the smoke continues to move across the state Tuesday, air quality will slowly improve from northwest to southeast for the remainder of the alert area," the agency said. "The smoke is expected to leave the state by Wednesday at noon." The Iowa Department of Natural Resources warned that air quality in a band from the state's southwest corner to

Delhi's air quality improves to 'satisfactory', AQI recorded at 96

The city recorded a minimum temperature of 26.4 degrees Celsius on Friday with the weather department forecasting rain and thunderstorm. The relative humidity was recorded at 69 per cent at 8.30 am, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The maximum temperature is expected to touch 37 degrees Celsius. Delhi's air quality improved and was recorded in the 'satisfactory' category with a reading of 96. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (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'.

Delhi-NCR air quality improves to 'poor', AQI drops to 298 post dust storm

Delhi-NCR air quality improves to 'poor' with AQI at 298 after dust storm, though areas like Anand Vihar Ashok Vihar and Aya Nagar continue to report 'very poor' levels

Delhi weather update: Rain, thunderstorms expected today, AQI at 131

Strong surface winds reaching speeds of 30-40 kmph are also expected