Relief For Delhiites? As Air Quality Improves, Pollution Levels Drop After Weeks

Delhi AQI: The city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 221, placing it in the ‘poor’ category. This marked a significant improvement from recent weeks.

Delhi AQI: Delhi witnessed a noticeable improvement in air quality on Thursday, a day after the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) lifted the strict Stage IV restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). The decision came after pollution levels showed a sustained decline across the national capital and surrounding regions.

Air Quality Moves to ‘Poor’ Category

On Thursday morning, the city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 221, placing it in the ‘poor’ category. This marked a significant improvement from recent weeks, when air quality had frequently remained in the ‘very poor’ or ‘severe’ range. Several areas across Delhi and the National Capital Region recorded better readings, with some locations even falling into the ‘moderate’ category.

According to official data, AQI readings at India Gate and Kartavya Path were recorded at 350, while Akshardham reported 245. Sir Aurobindo Marg saw a reading of 159, IGI Airport recorded 119, and Lodhi Road registered 133, indicating comparatively cleaner air in parts of the city.

AQI Scale

As per air quality standards, an AQI between 0 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 recent improvement brought relief after weeks of hazardous pollution levels.

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Fog Warning

Despite the better air quality, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning for dense to very dense fog in Delhi and nearby regions. Fog is expected during the morning hours across Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and parts of Jammu. Similar conditions are also likely in states such as Bihar, Assam, West Bengal, and Odisha.

GRAP Measures and Current Status

Stage IV of the GRAP was imposed on December 13 after Delhi’s AQI crossed 400. Although the severe restrictions have now been lifted, authorities have clarified that preventive measures under Stages I, II, and III will continue. Officials said this is necessary to prevent pollution levels from rising again in the coming days.