Did Delhi air quality worsen in 2025? CAQM says capital logged lowest Jan-Nov AQI since…, PM2.5 levels were…

Delhi air quality: Amid the outcry over deteriorating air quality in Delhi, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has asserted that the national capital logged its lowest January-November average air quality index (AQI) since 2018.

Delhi logged lowest Jan-Nov AQI in 2025

In a statement on Sunday, CAQM said that barring the year 2020, when lockdown was in force due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Delhi recorded an average AQI of 187 for the January-November in 2025, compared to 201 in 2024, 190 in 2023, 199 in 2022, 197 in 2021, 172 in 2020, 203 in 2019 and 213 in 2018.

According to the CAQM statement, Delhi’s AQI has not crossed the 450 mark on any day so far this year, as PM2.5 levels for the period up to November 27 was the lowest since 2018 and at par with 2020.

“The average PM2.5 stood at 85 micrograms per cubic metre this year, against 98 in 2024, 90 in 2023 and 2022, 95 in 2021, 85 in 2020, 99 in 2019 and 103 in 2018. PM10 levels were also the lowest for the corresponding period since 2018, excluding 2020. The average was 183 micrograms per cubic metre this year, compared to 205 in 2024, 193 in 2023, 202 in 2022, 200 in 2021, 167 in 2020, 210 in 2019 and 228 in 2018,” it said.

Delhi air quality improves to ‘poor’

Meanwhile, in a major relief for Delhiites, Delhi air quality improved to the ‘poor’ category on Sunday, after staying in the ‘very poor’ bracket for 24 days, often bordering near the ‘severe zone’. According to CAQM data, Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI at 4 PM stood at 279, 24 days after the city last recorded Air Quality Index (AQI) in the ‘poor’ category on November 5, when the readings showed 202.

Data from CPCB’s Sameer app showed that no operational monitoring station in Delhi recorded ‘severe’ air quality on Sunday, similar to Saturday, while eight stations had logged AQI in the ‘severe’ category on Friday.

The Commission said it is working with all agencies to implement measures for the prevention and control of air pollution and will intensify efforts to further improve air quality in Delhi-NCR.