Page 7 - Latest Updates on Delhi air quality

Air pollution: A four-point plan to help tackle the ever-growing menace

As a first step, the state, through the FCI or a new agency created for this purpose, should buy all the rice crop waste of North India at a remunerative price

Delhi air quality deteriorates to 'very poor' levels, AQI crosses 300

Nehru Nagar in south Delhi recorded highest pollution levels among city neighbourhoods, with an AQI of 351. In contrast, NSIT Dwarka in southwest Delhi recorded 195, falling under 'moderate' category

Delhi-NCR records best Jan-Nov air quality in 8 years, excluding 2020

Officials said the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) continues to work with stakeholders across Delhi-NCR to enforce pollution control measures and improve air quality

Delhi's Jan-Nov average AQI lowest since 2018, barring lockdown year: CAQM

Delhi recorded its lowest January-November average air quality index (AQI) since 2018, barring the Covid lockdown year of 2020, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said on Sunday. The average AQI for the period this year was 187, compared to 201 in 2024, 190 in 2023, 199 in 2022, 197 in 2021, 172 in 2020, 203 in 2019 and 213 in 2018, the CAQM said in a statement. Only three days saw the daily average AQI exceed 400 (severe category) between January and November this year. There were 11 such days in 2024, 12 in 2023, four in 2022, 17 in 2021, 11 in 2020, 16 in 2019 and 12 in 2018. Not a single day has crossed the 450 mark so far this year, the statement said. PM2.5 concentration for the period up to November 27 was the lowest since 2018 and at par with 2020. The average stood at 85 micrograms per cubic metre this year, against 98 in 2024, 90 in 2023 and 2022, 95 in 2021, 85 in 2020, 99 in 2019 and 103 in 2018. PM10 levels were also the lowest for the corresponding peri

Road dust emerges as major pollutant in Delhi; 35 high-dust spots located

Road dust remains a major driver of particulate pollution in the capital, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said on Sunday after its flying squads inspected 321 road stretches across Delhi under Operation Clean Air. The inspections, carried out on Saturday, were meant to check how much dust had settled on the roads and whether cleaning, sweeping and dust-suppression measures by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), and Central Public Works Department (CPWD) were working on the ground. Out of the 321 stretches checked, 35 showed high levels of visible dust, 61 had moderate dust, 94 recorded low dust and 131 had no visible dust. CAQM in a statement said the results highlight once again that road dust remains a major contributor to Delhi's particulate matter, especially in winter, and that regular mechanical sweeping, timely removal of collected dust, pavement upkeep, and water-sprinkling are essential. MCD had the largest number

PIL in Delhi HC seeks urgent action to tackle hazardous air pollution

A PIL filed in the Delhi High Court has sought urgent steps to control hazardous air pollution levels in the national capital. The plea said over the past several years, the ambient air quality in Delhi has deteriorated drastically, with AQI frequently entering the 'very poor', 'severe' and 'hazardous' categories, especially during winter. The increased pollution has resulted in persistent and serious health issues among residents, including children, senior citizens and persons with pre-existing ailments, it said. The petition has been filed by Greater Kailash-II Welfare Association, which has urged the court to order urgent, effective and scientific measures, both immediate and long-term, to control the city air pollution. The plea said the authorities, which remained "virtually inactive" as the air quality steadily deteriorated, chose to issue "Stage III - steps to be taken" only after the AQI had crossed its critical level. The government confined itself to merely prescribing

After severe smog, Delhi's AQI slips to 'poor' but hotspots remain high

Shadipur recorded the highest pollution levels this morning at 336, followed by RK Puram at 308, both falling in the 'very poor' category

Delhi's air remains 'very poor' for 15th day despite slight improvement

City records average AQI of 338; more foggy, stagnant conditions expected to hinder pollution dispersion

Delhi AQI remains 'very poor' for half of Nov; no relief expected next week

The national capital recorded an AQI of 369 on Friday, extending its streak of 'very poor' air quality to half the month of November, and forecasts show no respite in the next week. The 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) settled at 369 on Friday, compared to 377 on Thursday, 327 on Wednesday, 352 on Tuesday and 382 on Monday, remaining in the 'very poor' category for the 14th consecutive day. The highest AQI in the city, at 414, was recorded in Dwarka Sector 8, the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) Sameer app showed. The air quality is likely to remain 'very poor' over the coming week, according to the forecast by the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi. Meanwhile, the Sameer app, which displays real-time pollution readings from monitoring stations across Delhi, showed that several stations -- including RK Puram, Punjabi Bagh, Nehru Nagar, Dwarka, Rohini, Jahangirpuri, and Mundka -- recorded AQI levels above the 400 mark. Out of 39 monitoring stations, a total o

Rahul Gandhi questions PM Modi's silence on Delhi's air pollution issue

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday demanded a detailed discussion in Parliament on the issue of air pollution in the national capital as he questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on this "health emergency". He also demanded a strict, enforceable action plan to tackle air pollution and asked why the Modi government was not showing any urgency or accountability on the issue. Gandhi met a few mothers at his residence on the issue and shared a video of his conversation with them. "Every mother I meet tells me the same thing: her child is growing up breathing toxic air. They are exhausted, scared and angry. "Modi ji, India's children are choking in front of us. How can you stay silent? Why does your government show no urgency, no plan, no accountability?" he asked in a post on X. "India needs an immediate, detailed Parliament debate on air pollution and a strict, enforceable action plan to tackle this health emergency," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha ...

Delhi's air quality turns 'severe' as 19 stations record AQI above 400

Pollution spikes across Delhi-NCR as residents struggle with toxic air; offline classes resume even as AQI crosses 400 at several stations

SC to hear plea on Delhi-NCR air pollution on Dec 3 amid health emergency

The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear on December 3 a plea concerning the deteriorating air quality in the DelhiNational Capital Region, saying the issue needed to be monitored on a regular basis. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi took note of the submissions of senior advocate Aparajita Singh, who is assisting the bench as an amicus curiae in the air pollution case, that there is an alarming situation in Delhi-NCR and it is a health emergency. What magic wand can a judicial forum exercise? I know this is hazardous for Delhi-NCR. We all know the problem. The issue is what is the solution. We need to identify reasons and the solutions can be given by the domain experts only. We hope and expect that long term solutions are found, the CJI said. Tell me what can we direct? We issue some directions and get to breathe clean air immediately ... .Then we have to see what the solutions can be in each region. Let us see what the government has ...

Delhi chokes on dense smog as AQI nears 400; GRAP III curbs revoked

Air quality slipped back to the 'very poor' range today with AQI readings close to 400, even as CAQM withdrew GRAP Stage 3 measures

Datanomics: India's clean-air mission struggles amid global funding gaps

The broader global funding picture is bit more complex. India receives the highest total air-quality funding globally, yet very little of it is for channelling into programmes where reducing pollution

CAQM revokes Grap III measures in Delhi-NCR as air quality improves

The pollution monitoring body said that measures under Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the revised GRAP, issued on November 21, will stay in force and be closely monitored to prevent any further worsening

Delhi's air stays toxic as 34 monitoring stations record 'very poor' AQI

Rohini, Anand Vihar and Bawana among worst-hit areas in the national capital as 34 out of 39 monitoring stations record 'very poor' air quality

Will Ethiopian volcanic ash further impact poor Delhi AQI? Expert explains

The ash cloud from Hayli Gubbi, a long-silent volcano that erupted for the first time in nearly 12,000 years, entered India at around 10 pm on Monday

Delhi tops PM2.5 pollution list; 447 districts breach national norm: Report

Delhi ranked as the most polluted among 33 states and Union territories with an annual mean PM2.5 concentration of 101 micrograms per cubic metre, 2.5 times the Indian standard and 20 times the WHO guideline, according to a new satellite-based analysis. The report by the independent research organisation Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air said Chandigarh recorded the second-highest annual average PM2.5 level at 70 micrograms per cubic metre during the study period from March 2024 to February 2025, followed by Haryana at 63 and Tripura at 62. Assam (60), Bihar (59), West Bengal (57), Punjab (56), Meghalaya (53) and Nagaland (52) also exceeded the national standard. Overall, 447 of the 749 districts (60 per cent) analysed breached the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for annual PM2.5 of 40 micrograms per cubic metre. The most polluted districts are heavily concentrated in a few states, the analysis showed. Delhi (11 districts) and Assam (11 districts) together

Delhi's air stays toxic; state govt orders offices to work at 50% capacity

Delhi tightens curbs amid 'severe' to 'very poor' air quality, ordering 50 per cent office attendance as the city tracks an Ethiopian volcanic ash cloud and its impact on AQI

As toxic air chokes Delhi, govt orders offices to operate at 50% capacity

Delhi air pollution: Amid severe pollution, Delhi orders govt and private offices to operate at half strength, directing all other employees to work from home