NEW DELHI: Delhi witnessed its cleanest day of the year so far on Thursday, with the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) stating that the city recorded its lowest AQI of 59.
Delhi has maintained the ‘satisfactory’ category for AQI for 15 consecutive days. “Air Quality Index remains in the ‘Satisfactory’ category for 15 continuous days and recorded the lowest AQI of the year today, i.e. 59 at 4:00 pm (average of past 24 hours),” the central pollution watchdog said.
Meanwhile, five of Delhi’s 13 pollution hotspots recorded AQI levels in the ‘Good’ category. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa described the development as “historic.”
According to the Environment Department, Vivek Vihar recorded an AQI of just 35, followed by Dwarka (40), Jahangirpuri (47), Punjabi Bagh (48), and Rohini (50).
“This is not just a statistic — it’s a defining moment for Delhi, especially in the middle of July. After decades, our most polluted areas are breathing clean again. This is the result of sustained, focused action, technology-driven enforcement and, above all, people’s participation,” Sirsa said on the sidelines of Van Mahotsav celebrations at Shastri Park City Forest.
“Under the able leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, we have shown that governance backed by willpower brings real change. Unlike previous governments that ignored public health, our administration has made environment a top priority,” he added.
Thousands of saplings are being planted across the capital under the Van Mahotsav 2025 campaign, which aims to plant 70 lakh trees this year.
“Every sapling planted in Delhi today is a step closer to reclaiming our green heritage. Van Mahotsav is now a jan-andolan, and Delhi’s citizens are its biggest strength,” Sirsa said.