Delhi’s air quality slid back into the ‘very poor’ category on Monday, registering an AQI of 304, a setback after a brief relief the previous day. The capital had recorded an AQI of 279 on Sunday, its first ‘poor’ air day since November 5.
According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, Monday’s reading marked a continuation of the city’s prolonged pollution spell.
Over the past week, Delhi’s AQI has swung between 279 and 382, frequently inching toward the ‘severe’ zone. Notably, no station recorded ‘severe’ air on Monday, consistent with the weekend trend but a marked change from Friday, when eight stations fell into that category.
November closed with an average AQI of 357, firmly ‘very poor’, though marginally better than the monthly averages of 374 in 2024 and 366 in 2023. The month saw no ‘good’, ‘satisfactory’, or ‘moderate’ air days, instead logging three ‘poor’, 24 ‘very poor’, and three ‘severe’ days.
The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology’s Decision Support System estimated transport emissions contributed 20% to Delhi’s pollution on Monday, with a similar share expected on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, winter tightened its grip on the capital. The minimum temperature dipped to 5.7°C, nearly 5 degrees below normal, while the maximum settled at 26.1°C.