Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) worsened slightly on Monday morning, reaching 300, keeping the city in the ‘poor’ category. This is a small rise from Sunday’s reading of over 270. On Sunday, November 30, the city finally got a brief break from a 24-day streak of ‘very poor’ air, thanks to strong northwesterly winds that cleared the skies in Delhi and nearby areas like Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, and Faridabad.
The national capital has recorded “poor” air quality for two days in a row after a brief improvement on Sunday, when the AQI fell to 279 from Saturday’s 305. Nehru Nagar reported the highest AQI in the city at 354, which falls under the “very poor” category. Other areas with high pollution included Rohini (341), Bawana (339), RK Puram (336), Mundka (330), and Punjabi Bagh (328).
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In contrast, NSIT Dwarka had the lowest AQI at 195, placing it in the “moderate” category. Mandir Marg (207) and IGI Airport T3 (248) also recorded better air quality compared to most other parts of Delhi. Several other stations, including Anand Vihar (325), Jahangirpuri (321), Vivek Vihar (321), Shadipur (324), and Pusa (322), remained in the “very poor” category, showing that pollution is widespread across Delhi.
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Long-Term Improvement Despite Seasonal Spikes
Despite the recent spike, Delhi-NCR has seen consistent improvement in air quality this year. The region recorded its lowest average AQI from January to November in eight years (excluding 2020, the COVID-19 lockdown year). Official data shows Delhi’s average AQI for January–November 2025 stood at 187, down from 201 in 2024 and 213 in 2018.
AQI Levels and Health Risks
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) classifies AQI into six levels based on pollution and health risks:
- 0–50: Good
- 51–100: Satisfactory
- 101–200: Moderate
- 201–300: Poor
- 301–400: Very Poor
- 401–500: Severe
Prolonged exposure to “Poor” air can cause breathing discomfort even in healthy people, while “Very Poor” and “Severe” levels pose serious health risks for everyone.
Winter Pollution Concerns
Winter months often see frequent spikes in AQI, making air pollution a major health concern for residents of Delhi and the surrounding areas.
Delhi Temperature Dips Below 6°C
Readings from Delhi’s Safdarjung weather station on Monday showed the minimum temperature at 5.7°C, which is 4.6°C below normal, according to the IMD website. This marks the lowest temperature of the season and the coldest November reading since at least 2022. Earlier, on Wednesday, November 26, Delhi had recorded a minimum of 8°C, three degrees below normal, which was also the lowest November temperature in three years.