Delhi Air Quality Worsens Again As AQI Crosses 300 Mark

After a brief respite on Sunday, Delhi woke up on Monday to worsening air conditions, with pollution levels edging back towards the ‘very poor’ category.

Strong winds that had offered temporary relief the previous day failed to hold back the return of smog.

By 7 AM, the Air Quality Index had pushed past the 300 mark, still categorised as ‘poor’, while a thick mixture of fog and smoke settled over the city, according to figures from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Monitoring centres showed sharp contrasts across the capital.

Anand Vihar registered an AQI of 325, a reading matched by ITO, placing both locations firmly in the ‘very poor’ range.

In comparison, areas near India Gate and Kartavya Path reported lower, though still unhealthy, levels of 267.

Understanding CPCB’s Air Quality Categories

CPCB’s classification system defines air quality in six bands:

1. 0–50 as ‘good’,
2. 51–100 ‘satisfactory’,
3. 101–200 ‘moderate’,
4. 201–300 ‘poor’,
5. 301–400 ‘very poor’, and
6. 401–500 ‘severe’

On Sunday, Delhi briefly saw better conditions when the AQI slipped to 279, its second-best reading of November, behind the AQI of 202 recorded on 5 November, according to data from the CPCB’s Sameer app.

Despite this temporary improvement, more than half of Delhi’s 39 monitoring stations continued to show ‘very poor’ air.

Between 24 and 29 November, the city’s average AQI fluctuated between 327 and 382 before softening to 305 on Saturday and 279 by Sunday morning.

With Parliament’s Winter Session commencing on Monday, air pollution will likely feature prominently in Opposition demands.

Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, had already called on Friday for a detailed debate. He criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not addressing what he labelled a ‘health emergency’.

As part of his outreach, Rahul Gandhi met a group of women concerned about the capital’s deteriorating air. He later released a video of the interaction on his social media platform, urging the government to respond swiftly.

Taing to X, he posted, “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?”

Also Read: Delhi Wakes To Another Day Of Heavy Pollution; No Improvement Expected