Latest Updates on Delhi air quality

An intense cold wave swept through Delhi early Wednesday, causing a sharp drop in temperatures and bringing chilly winds

Despite the rain lashing parts of the national capital on Monday, December 6, Delhiites did not get any relief from the worsening air quality

Delhi's annual PM2.5 levels rose in 2024 for the second consecutive year, despite a 37 per cent drop in stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana and the national capital, according to a new report. The report by think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said Delhi's annual PM2.5 concentration increased to 104.7 microgrammes per cubic metre in 2024 -- a 3.4 per cent rise from the 2023 levels. This is also more than twice the national ambient air quality standard of 40 microgrammes per cubic metre. While the 2024 average is still 9.6 per cent lower than the 2018 peak of 115.8 microgrammes per cubic metre, it is 3 per cent higher than the three-year average of 2021-2023, indicating a gradual reversal of earlier gains made between 2018 and 2022, it said. The report highlighted that the total annual fire counts (on account of stubble burning) dropped by 37.5 per cent in 2024 in Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana. Punjab recorded a 75 per cent decline, and Haryana, a 37 per cent ...

Experts anticipate that the air quality will improve to the "poor" range by Tuesday, thanks to the expected rainfall

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has revoked the Stage-III actions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi-NCR following a significant improvement in the air quality index (AQI).Stage-I and Stage-II measures, however, will remain in effect, officials said on Sunday.The decision comes after the Sub-Committee on GRAP reviewed the air quality data and the IMD/IITM forecasts, noting a downward trend in AQI levels.Owing to the favourable meteorological conditions and better wind speed, the AQI of Delhi has been continuously improving and has been recorded as 339 at 4:00 PM and 335 at 5:00 PM and the trend/ forecast indicates the AQI levels to further go down_ As per the Air Quality & Weather, forecast provided by IMD/ IITM, there is a further likelihood of AQI of Delhi to remain in 'Poor' category in the coming days owing to favourable meteorological conditions, a release said.The CAQM had on Friday invoked Stage-III curbs under the GRAP across the ...

The AQI levels fell into the "severe" category in areas like RK Puram (401), Siri Fort (426), Patparganj (410), and Dwarka Sector-8 (405), among others

Dense fog enveloped the national capital on Saturday, reducing visibility to zero for an unprecedented nine-hour stretch, the longest spell of the season, according to the weather department. The dense fog led to the delay of 81 trains while 15 flights got diverted on Saturday, according to officials. "Zero visibility prevailed for nine hours at Palam between 6 pm and 3 am (UTC), marking the longest spell of the season. The city's primary weather station, Safdarjung, recorded eight hours of zero visibility, as per the IMD." With the the maximum temperature in the city settled at 20 degrees Celsius, 0.7 notch above average and the minimum temperature was recorded at 7.8 degrees Celsius, 0.9 notch above the normal, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The relative humidity during the day ranged between 96 and 100 per cent, it said. For Sunday, the weather department has predicted a partly cloudy sky. The predominant surface wind is expected to blow from the

In response to the worsening air quality, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) announced the reimplementation of stricter pollution control measures under Grap Stage III

The Centre's panel on Delhi-NCR's air quality on Friday brought back stage 3 curbs under the Graded Response Action Plan amid a rise in air pollution levels owing to unfavourable meteorological conditions, according to an official order. Delhi's air pollution levels showed an increasing trend and the 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) stood at 371 at 4 pm. ?According to forecasts from the India Meteorological Department and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, the air quality situation is predicted to deteriorate further owing to unfavourable meteorological conditions. The Commission for Air Quality Management, responsible for strategizing air pollution mitigation in Delhi-NCR, directed authorities in the region to immediately implement curbs prescribed under stage 3 to prevent further worsening of the situation. GRAP Stage 3, which was lifted last Friday, entails a ban on non-essential construction work. Classes up to grade V are required to shift to hybrid mode und

Delhi International Airport issued advisories warning passengers of potential flight delays due to low visibility conditions

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee collected over Rs 112 crore in environmental compensation between April, 2015 and November 20, 2024, the NGT was recently told. According to the Central Pollution Control Board the environmental compensation (EC) was a policy instrument for the protection of the environment and worked on the "polluter pays" principle. In other words, fine was levied on violators of environmental laws and used for restoration. The green body had sought details on the EC imposed and its utilisation from the DPCC. In a report dated December 26, the committee said, DPCC has received Rs 11,208.15 lakh (Rs 112.08 crore) as EC fund from April 2015 till November 20 (2024), and Rs 3,605.66 lakh (Rs 36.05 crore) has been utilised so far. Giving a break-up of the utilisation, the report said the highest amount, about Rs 10.11 crore, was spent on information, education and communication activities, followed by an expenditure of Rs 8.77 crore on strengthening monitoring ..

Earlier in the week, on Monday, the capital saw a temporary improvement in air quality, with levels shifting to the "moderate" category after heavy rainfall over the weekend

Adding to the alarming scenario, Delhi did not record a single day of "Good" air quality (AQI 0-50) throughout 2024

In 2024, Delhi witnessed a continued deterioration in air quality, enduring the highest number of 'severe' AQI days since 2022

Thanks to the rain spells over the weekend, Delhi's average AQI this December was 294, making it the cleanest December since AQI monitoring began in 2015

With an average Air Quality Index of 294, Delhi has recorded its cleanest December air since the introduction of the AQI system in 2015. This improvement can be attributed to strong, consistent winds in the first half of the month and record-breaking rainfall in the second, officials said. According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), December marked Delhi's cleanest first half ever, with only one 'very poor' air day recorded between December 1 and December 15. On Monday, the AQI stood at 173, in the "moderate" category, a significant improvement from Sunday's 225 (poor). This marked the eighth moderate air quality day this month, with the capital previously recording no more than three moderate days in December. The lowest AQI of this month was recorded on December 28, at 139, marking the cleanest December day on record. The average AQI during this period stood at 238, significantly lower than the usual AQI of over 300 for this time of year. In comparison, .

Intermittent showers over the past few days have helped reduce pollution levels in the national capital