Delhi air stays ‘very poor’, AQI at 308 as pollution persists

Pollution levels in the national capital remained a serious concern on Sunday, with Delhi continuing to breathe “very poor” air for yet another day. The city recorded a 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 308, extending a spell of unhealthy air that has persisted for several weeks.

Data from the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) Sameer app showed that by Sunday evening, 29 monitoring stations were still in the “very poor” category. Bawana registered the worst air quality in the city with an AQI reading of 336. As early as 10 am, the overall AQI stood at 302, with 26 stations reporting similarly hazardous levels.

According to CPCB norms, an AQI reading between 301 and 400 falls under the “very poor” category, a range that can trigger respiratory discomfort with prolonged exposure, especially among vulnerable groups.

Local and regional pollution sources

An analysis by the Decision Support System (DSS) for Delhi’s Air Quality Management pointed to transport emissions as the single largest local contributor, accounting for 16.5 per cent of the city’s pollution load. This was followed by industries within Delhi and neighbouring areas at 8.1 per cent, residential emissions at 4 per cent, and construction activity at 2.3 per cent.

Pollution from surrounding NCR districts also played a significant role. Jhajjar contributed 12.9 per cent, Sonipat 6 per cent, Rohtak 5.4 per cent and Jind 2.5 per cent to Delhi’s overall pollution levels, highlighting the regional nature of the air quality crisis.

Delhi’s air has fluctuated between “poor” and “very poor” categories over the past week. The AQI was 279 last Sunday (November 30), rose to 304 on Monday, peaked at 372 on Tuesday, and remained elevated through the week, ending at 330 on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Delhi’s maximum temperature on Sunday was 24.7 degrees Celsius, marginally below normal, while the minimum settled at 8 degrees Celsius, significantly lower than average. Relative humidity was recorded at 92 per cent in the morning and 71 per cent in the evening.

For Monday, the IMD has forecast partly misty conditions, with temperatures expected to range between 10 and 25 degrees Celsius, conditions that may continue to limit the dispersion of pollutants.