Delhi’s air quality deteriorated sharply on Sunday, with the city’s AQI nearing 350 at several monitoring locations and entering the ‘very poor’ category just as new pollution-control restrictions came into force across Delhi-NCR.
According to the latest figures issued by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) before 7 am, the AQI around Akshardham and ITO stood at 349. India Gate and Janpath recorded an AQI of 335. Under the CPCB classification, an AQI between 301 and 400 is categorised as ‘very poor’, while readings between 401 and 500 fall in the ‘severe’ category.
The deterioration followed two days of relatively better air after rainfall. Delhi’s AQI had been recorded at 117 a day earlier, meaning the city’s reading rose by 144 points in a single day. The Sunday reading was also the highest recorded this season and the highest since July 12, when Delhi’s AQI stood at 261, according to the report.
The rise was widespread across the monitoring network. Of Delhi’s 57 monitoring stations, 23 recorded AQI levels above 300. The previous month, the city’s air index had reached 245 on October 21. The CPCB has indicated that pollution levels are likely to rise further during the week, with air quality potentially reaching the ‘very poor’ range more broadly.
The deterioration came on the first day of new restrictions introduced in Delhi-NCR from November 1 to address pollution. The source report does not specify the individual measures included in the restrictions, but records that air quality worsened despite their implementation. Their operational impact will therefore depend on enforcement and on how pollution levels evolve across the region.
Weather conditions also shaped the city’s morning environment. Light fog reduced visibility, while Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 18 degrees Celsius on November 1, which was 1.9 degrees below normal. This was the lowest minimum temperature recorded for November 1 since 2023, when it was 16.4 degrees Celsius. The maximum temperature reached 29 degrees Celsius, two degrees below normal and the lowest for the date since 2021, when it was 27.2 degrees Celsius.
Visibility at Safdarjung was 1,600 metres in the morning, while visibility near Palam and the Indira Gandhi International Airport was 1,500 metres. The India Meteorological Department said temperatures were unlikely to change significantly over the following week. The maximum temperature had risen by 1.1 degrees Celsius compared with the previous day.
The CPCB’s monitoring figures place Delhi’s air within a pollution band associated with significantly degraded urban air quality. The next reported milestone is the expected change in air quality during the week, as authorities continue implementing the restrictions introduced across Delhi-NCR.
