Capital Gas Chamber Returns: Delhi’s Air Turns ‘Very Poor’ Again

Delhi’s air quality deteriorated sharply today, after several months of clean air and now it has shifted into the “very poor” category. The air became very much polluted and filled with smog once again. According to the Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS), capital’s air quality index reached to 316 which indicates unhealthy condition for the people. The air is mainly unhealthy to breathe especially for the children and elderly people or those with breathing problem.

Private air quality tracking platform, AQI.in showed slightly lower pollution level of 242, but even that is also very harmful. According to AQI.in, smoking about 8 cigarettes a day is equal to breathing in Delhi’s air under these conditions. This is a clear warning of how toxic the air has become.

The amount of PM2.5, was measured at 168 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³), in Delhi’s air. This level is more than 11 times the World Health Organization (WHO) says is safe to breathe which is15 µg/m³. The WHO has warned that if people keep breathing such air for long time, it can cause serious health issue. It can lead to disease like stroke, lung cancer, and chronic respiratory diseases.

In some areas in Delhi, the air is much toxic than in the rest of the city. The pollution levels in Holambi Khurd Village recording an AQI of 561 the worst in the city. Goutampuri reported 408, Maharam Mohalla 344, Mustafabad 380, and Shahdara 312, all falling into the ‘Severe’ or ‘Very Poor’ category.

The heavy pollution and smog are extended beyond the Delhi in nearby cities which are also affected. Ghaziabad has recorded 360, Greater Noida 306, Noida 289, and Gurugram 201, which means the air quality in these areas was also unhealthy and poor.

The AQI measures the quality of air from ‘Good’ (0–50) to ‘Severe’ (401–500), and currently, Delhi’s air is recorded with an AQI around 316 in the very poor category. As per the report, from AQI.in, level of pollution this November is about 7% higher than last year. In previous year, during November 2024, it was 285 and now in 2025, it has risen to 306. This reflects that, even after having cleaner air earlier, the quality has worsened now.

Experts believe that the sudden rise in pollution is mainly due to slow or still winds that are no able to move pollution away, cold weather condition that traps the dirty air close to the ground, and an increase in seasonal pollution from vehicles, burning of waste or crop reside and pollution from factories. To stop the situation from getting more worse, authorities are likely to take stronger action under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) which includes action like restricting construction, controlling vehicle use and stopping waste burning to prevent further worsening of the situation.