New Delhi: Delhi recorded its first “severe” air quality day of the year on Tuesday, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 428, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The air quality, which was in the “very poor” for the last several days, slipped into the “severe” zone early Tuesday morning as stagnant weather conditions and local emissions contributed to a spike in pollution levels.
This is the first time this year that Delhi’s AQI has entered the “severe” range. The last time the city’s air quality was this bad was in December 2024, the CPCB data showed.
Meanwhile, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav directed all state and Union territory authorities in Delhi-NCR to submit concrete action-taken reports on their air pollution control efforts.
Chairing a high-level review meeting on the air pollution in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) — the fourth such review this season — Yadav stressed the need for coordinated, year-round measures to curb stubble burning, road dust and waste burning.
He asked officials to prepare district-wise crop-residue management plans, ensure capacity building of farmers in operating crop-residue management machines and maintain constant monitoring of stubble-burning cases. Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa attended the meeting.
The Union minister emphasised zero tolerance against open burning of municipal solid waste and directed civic authorities to prepare strict timelines for bridging gaps in legacy waste management and accelerating its clearance. He urged officials to share best practices on waste management, instead of working in silos. Yadav also called for the installation of online continuous emission monitoring systems and air pollution control devices in all red-category industries across NCR on a mission mode.
Reviewing road redevelopment projects, he instructed authorities to ensure timely and quality completion of works to minimise dust and plug
processing gaps in construction and demolition waste management.
The minister also asked municipal bodies to develop saplings in coordination with forest departments for large-scale plantation on degraded land. He also urged the Delhi Traffic Police to prepare traffic management plans for congestion hotspots and expedite the implementation of the Intelligent Traffic Management System to reduce vehicular emissions.
The meeting was attended by senior officials from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), governments of Delhi, Haryana and Punjab, municipal commissioners of NCR cities and other agencies.