Delhi air quality plunges to ‘dangerous’ category just days after Diwali

Delhi’s air quality plunged into the “dangerous” category on Sunday, with an AQI of 377, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board at 11 am.
A slight improvement was noted on Saturday morning, when the Air Quality Index briefly moved into the “poor” range at 290. However, by 4 pm, levels had worsened again, reaching a reading of 316, once more indicating “very poor” conditions.
This coincides with ongoing stubble burning in neighbouring states, where efforts to limit this activity have largely been unsuccessful. The contribution of stubble burning to the pollution of Delhi went up to 36 per cent on Friday as the number of farm fires has increased in neighbouring states.
On Sunday morning, areas such as Anand Vihar and Rohini recorded air quality levels touching the “severe” category, while many other parts of the city witnessed “very poor” air quality.
The air quality in Delhi has reached concerning levels, with Anand Vihar recording an AQI of 437, the highest in the capital, followed by Lajpat Nagar with an AQI of 432. Other regions, such as Ashok Vihar and Rohini, recorded AQI readings of 402 and 404, respectively. Chandni Chowk, with an AQI of 289, and Sri Aurobindo Marg, at 267, had the lowest levels among monitored areas.
In Noida, Sector 62 registered an AQI of 314 and Sector 116 at 303. Sector 125 recorded a slightly lower AQI of 287.
Meanwhile, air quality in Gurugram varies significantly across different areas. NISE Gwal Pahari recorded an AQI of 351, while Sector 51 witnessed a much lower AQI of 188, suggesting relatively better air quality. Teri Gram and Vikas Sadan had AQI readings of 238 and 259, respectively.