Delhi’s air quality deteriorated further on Wednesday, with the city recording an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 373 at 7.05 am and 21 of 59 monitoring stations reporting pollution in the severe category. The reading placed Delhi in the very poor category, close to the 401-500 severe band under the Central Pollution Control Board’s classification.
The city’s 24-hour average AQI on Tuesday was 350, the worst recorded in the previous 287 days, according to the report. Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, was the primary pollutant at 54 of the 59 monitoring stations, indicating that the deterioration was widespread rather than limited to a small number of locations.
Punjabi Bagh recorded the highest AQI at 452, followed by Jahangirpuri at 450 and IIT Delhi at 446. Five monitoring stations recorded air quality in the poor category, while 23 were in the very poor category. The remaining stations included those reporting severe pollution.
Under CPCB’s scale, an AQI of 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor and 401-500 severe. The classification is used to communicate the intensity of air pollution and its potential implications for public exposure across the capital.
The Air Quality Early Warning System forecast that Delhi’s air would remain in the very poor category from 4 to 6 November. It also indicated that air quality could fluctuate between the very poor and severe categories over the following six days. The report noted that firecracker use during Diwali could lead to a further deterioration in air quality.
Satellite data from NASA recorded 1,561 farm-fire incidents in Punjab and Haryana between 1 October and 3 November. Punjab accounted for 1,406 incidents and Haryana for 155. As many as 167 incidents were recorded on 2 November. The comparable figure for the same period last year was 2,068 incidents.
However, the report cautioned that satellite counts need to be interpreted in context because the timing of stubble-burning incidents has shifted in recent years. Meteosat data recorded 98% of fires after 3 pm in 2025, compared with 94% in 2024. Many incidents now occur around 1.30 pm, after the satellite passes over the relevant area, meaning the recorded totals may be lower than the actual number of fires.
Weather conditions were also relevant to the episode. The minimum temperature at Safdarjung, Delhi’s main weather station, was 16.1 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, 0.8 degrees above the seasonal average. Palam recorded 16.9 degrees Celsius, 0.7 degrees above normal, while Lodhi Road recorded 16.1 degrees Celsius, 3.1 degrees above normal. The Ridge station recorded 16.4 degrees Celsius, 0.7 degrees below normal, and Ayanagar recorded 16.6 degrees Celsius, 0.4 degrees above its seasonal average.
No rainfall was recorded at any of these five weather stations during the 24 hours up to 8.30 am on Wednesday. The air-quality warning system’s forecast for the next several days will determine whether the capital remains in the very poor category or moves into the severe band.
