Delhi Air Quality update: Delhi continues to choke as AQI slips to…; city had zero below-200 days in December, lowest AQI was…

Delhi Air Quality update: Toxic air continued to plague Delhi on Monday as the national capital AQI levels remained in ‘very poor’ bracket, with CPCB data revealing that the city has not had even a single day where AQI was below 200, in the ‘moderate’ category, so far this December.

Delhi air quality remains ‘very poor’

According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, Delhi logged a 24-hour average AQI of 373, again in the ‘very poor’ category, at 4 pm on Monday, four notches below Tuesday AQI reading of 377.

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’, according to CPCB standards.

Notably, Air Quality Early Warning System has forecast that Delhi air quality is likely to remain in the ‘very poor’ category over the next six days.

Delhi had zero ‘moderate’ AQI days in December

Meanwhile, CPCB data has revealed shocking statistics about the steady deterioration of Delhi’s air quality this winter season, revealing that the capital city has not recorded even a single day of ‘moderate’ air quality so far in December, while nearly 20 days so far have seen pollution levels hover in the red zone.

According to CPCB data, Delhi has had zero days where AQI was below 200, in the ‘moderate’ bracket, so far this month. In contrast, during the same period last year, the national capital had recorded six days of moderate air quality.

How Delhi’s AQI fared compared to last December?

In December 2024, Delhi had eight days with AQI levels below 200, eight ‘poor’ air quality days, with AQI readings above 200, and six days of ‘severe’ readings, when levels crossed the 400-mark, the data showed.

Delhi’s air quality largely remained in the ‘moderate’ to ‘poor’ range between December 1 and 7 last year, except for one day when it deteriorated to the ‘very poor’ zone above 300, before improving again the next day to the ‘moderate’ category. However, this December, Delhi air quality has persistently remained in the red zone with AQI readings above 300 from December 1 to 8.

Delhiites saw brief relief for two consecutive days when pollution levels dipped to the ‘poor’ category, before returning to the red zone on December 11 and remaining there since, the data revealed. Apart from those two days, Delhi air has largely remained ‘very poor’, with AQI levels hovering above 300 for most of the month, it showed.