Delhi Air Quality Remains Poor; Anand Vihar Slips Into ‘Very Poor’ Category

Air quality in Delhi remained in the ‘poor’ category on Wednesday, with Anand Vihar slipping into the ‘very poor’ bracket at an AQI of 342.

The broader Delhi-NCR region is also witnessing a gradual rise in temperatures, although mornings and evenings continue to offer some relief.

AQI Readings Across Monitoring Stations

Data from the Central Pollution Control Board showed varied readings across monitoring stations.

While Anand Vihar recorded 342, Ashok Vihar stood at 258, Burari Crossing at 265, Chandni Chowk at 275, DTU at 229, Dwarka Sector-8 at 254, IIT Delhi at 173, ITO at 284, Jahangirpuri at 292, Lodhi Road at 159, Mandir Marg at 165, North Campus at 241, Punjabi Bagh at 261, Pusa at 192, RK Puram at 262, Rohini at 282, Sonia Vihar at 260 and Wazirpur at 299.

Most locations fell under the ‘poor’ category, with a few reporting ‘moderate’ levels.

To strengthen pollution tracking, the city has activated six new Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations, taking the total to 46, the highest in the country.

The stations have been installed at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Indira Gandhi National Open University, the ISRO Earth Station near Malcha Mahal on the Central Ridge, Delhi Cantonment, Commonwealth Sports Complex, and Netaji Subhash University of Technology (West Campus).

These stations are now providing live data via the Delhi Pollution Control Committee website, aimed at improving transparency and enabling data-driven interventions.

Meanwhile, temperatures are trending upward. The maximum is hovering near 30 degrees Celsius, with the minimum around 13 degrees Celsius.

By Saturday, the maximum could reach 32 degrees Celsius, rising further to 33 degrees Celsius by March 4.

On February 16, Safdarjung recorded a peak temperature of 31.6 degrees Celsius, about 7.2 degrees above normal, marking the earliest crossing of the 30-degree mark in five years.

Delhi’s all-time February high, however, remains 34.1 degrees Celsius, recorded on February 26, 2006.