NEW DELHI: Delhi recorded “very poor” air quality on Sunday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 302 at 10 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) Sameer app.
Twenty-six monitoring stations across the city reported “very poor” levels, including Ashok Vihar (322), Bawana (352), Burari (318), Chandni Chowk (307), and Dwarka (307), highlighting widespread pollution.
The CPCB classifies AQI between 301 and 400 as “very poor,” indicating potential health risks for sensitive groups and the general population. Areas such as Anand Vihar and ITO were shrouded in dense smog, reducing visibility across the city.
The government has established the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to oversee pollution control in Delhi-NCR and adjoining areas, issuing 95 statutory directions and implementing a Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to curb winter pollution. Stricter emission norms for polluting activities have also been enforced, with regular monitoring and review meetings.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast a cold wave for the day, with minimum temperature dipping to 8°C—1.6°C below normal—and morning humidity reaching 100 per cent. Maximum temperatures are expected to settle between 22°C and 24°C.
The statement issued on Friday in response to a question raised by MP Dr. Laxmikant Bajpayee in the Rajya Sabha, asking whether it is a fact that "one in every seven deaths in Delhi can be attributed to the city's toxic air as claimed by several studies and reported in the media".
The Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Kirti Vardhan Singh, responded by saying various studies have been conducted by academic and research institutes on the impact of air pollution. In 2025, not a single day had the AQI reached the severe-plus level in Delhi.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)