New Delhi: Delhi began its Sunday under a heavy blanket of smog, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 303 at 9 am, a “very poor” level as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Even though the air has shown slight improvement compared to recent days, many parts of the city were still covered in a heavy, polluted haze.
Neighbourhoods such as Anand Vihar and ITO witnessed dense smog early in the day, leading to low visibility on the roads. As per CPCB readings, a large number of areas in Delhi continued to fall under the “very poor” air quality category, a common trend during this time of the year due to stagnant winds and rising pollution levels.
Air Quality Status Across Delhi
Several major AQI monitoring stations in Delhi recorded high pollution levels, including Ashok Vihar (322), Bawana (352), Burari (318), Chandni Chowk (307), and Dwarka (307).
All these locations fell in the “very poor” category, showing that the pollution problem was widespread across the city on Sunday.
According to CPCB, The Air Quality Index (AQI) ranges from 0 to 500 and is divided into six levels based on pollution and its health impact.
The categories are as follows:
- 0-50: Good
- 51-100: Satisfactory
- 101-200: Moderate
- 201-300: Poor
- 301-400: Very Poor
- 401-500: Severe
(According to the CPCB, each AQI bracket represents how polluted the air is and what kind of health risks people may face at that level.)
Government Response to Rising Pollution
To address the worsening air quality in Delhi and nearby areas, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India, issued a statement highlighting the alarming pollution levels in the national capital.
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.
The government continues to take measures to address the issue in Delhi-NCR.
Measures and Initiatives to Control Pollution
The government has established the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) under the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021, to oversee air quality management in Delhi-NCR and adjoining areas. The Commission has been addressing the issue of air pollution in Delhi-NCR in a collective, collaborative, and participative mode involving all major stakeholders.
The Commission has issued 95 Statutory Directions to ensure different agencies take steps to reduce air pollution in the region. It has also put together the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which is used each winter when pollution levels rise.
The government, on its part, has tightened emission rules for activities that cause pollution in the NCR and holds regular review meetings to check how well these measures are being carried out.
(From the Inputs of ANI)
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
