Delhi’s air quality improved from the ‘poor’ to the ‘moderate’ category on Saturday, with the 24-hour average Air Quality Index falling to 191 from 230 a day earlier, according to Central Pollution Control Board data. The improvement came after the capital recorded three consecutive days in the ‘poor’ category.
The CPCB recorded Delhi’s AQI at 191 at 4 pm on Saturday, marking a decline of 39 points from Friday’s reading. Under the CPCB classification, the ‘moderate’ category covers AQI readings from 101 to 200, while the ‘poor’ category begins at 201.
The improvement has provided temporary relief to residents, although the duration of the better air quality will depend on weather conditions in the coming days. The report said weather changes and atmospheric conditions would remain important factors influencing pollution levels across the capital.
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa cited October 23 AQI figures to claim that pollution levels were lower this year than during the same period in the previous two years. According to the figures shared by the minister, Delhi’s AQI on October 23 was 230 in 2026, compared with 305 in 2025 and 364 in 2024.
Sirsa said on X that efforts to control pollution were continuing, while also acknowledging that more work remained. The Delhi government said it was working on pollution control measures on a large scale. The report did not provide details of the specific measures or their implementation status.
The improvement in air quality coincided with a slight fall in Delhi’s minimum temperature. The weather department recorded the capital’s minimum temperature at 18.3 degrees Celsius, which was 1.1 degrees above normal but 0.7 degrees lower than Friday. The maximum temperature was 32.9 degrees Celsius.
Minimum temperatures at Palam and Lodhi Road were 17.6 degrees Celsius, while Aya Nagar recorded 17 degrees Celsius. The weather department forecast partly cloudy skies over Delhi for the next few days.
The latest AQI reading indicates a short-term improvement, but the city’s air quality remains dependent on changing weather conditions and the effectiveness of pollution-control measures. The next CPCB daily reading and the weather department’s forecast will determine whether the improvement continues.
