Delhi’s air quality deteriorated sharply before Diwali, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 349 around Akshardham and ITO and 335 near India Gate and Janpath, according to the latest Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data released before 7 a.m. on Sunday.
The readings placed several parts of the capital in the ‘very poor’ category as haze and light cold affected the city at the start of November. The deterioration came on the first day of new pollution-control restrictions introduced across Delhi-NCR from November 1.
Delhi’s average AQI was recorded at 117 a day earlier, meaning the index rose by 144 points in a single day. The city’s AQI had been 245 on October 21. Sunday’s reading was described as the highest of the season so far and the highest since July 12, when Delhi recorded an AQI of 261.
Of Delhi’s 57 air-quality monitoring stations, 23 recorded AQI levels above 300 on Sunday. Under the CPCB’s classification, 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 CPCB indicated that pollution levels could rise further during the week, potentially pushing Delhi’s air quality deeper into the ‘very poor’ category. The sharp increase followed two days of comparatively cleaner conditions associated with rainfall, after which pollution levels began worsening again.
The deterioration was accompanied by light fog and lower-than-usual visibility in the morning. Visibility at Safdarjung was recorded at 1,600 metres, while visibility near Palam and the Indira Gandhi International Airport was 1,500 metres.
Weather conditions also marked a cooler start to November. Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 18 degrees Celsius on November 1, which was 1.9 degrees below normal. It was the lowest minimum temperature recorded on that date since 2023, when the reading was 16.4 degrees Celsius. The maximum temperature stood at 29 degrees Celsius, two degrees below normal and the lowest for November 1 since 2021, when it was 27.2 degrees Celsius.
According to the weather department, no significant change in temperatures was expected over the following week. The CPCB’s assessment of further pollution escalation will determine how air quality develops after the restrictions introduced across Delhi-NCR take effect.
