New Delhi: Even as Delhi authorities claim measurable improvements in air quality over the past year, the national capital once again found itself battling extreme pollution, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) surging to hazardous levels over the weekend. The sharp contrast between official assessments and ground realities has brought renewed focus on the effectiveness of pollution-control measures in the city. According to a comparative analysis released by the Delhi government, air quality in 2025 has shown “positive and measurable improvement” when compared with 2024. The assessment, based on data available up to December 9, states that the number of “Satisfactory” AQI days recorded so far in 2025 is the highest in the past nine years, barring 2020. Officials attributed this trend to the “effective implementation of winter action plans and sustained air pollution control measures.”
The government further claimed that air quality during the critical winter months has improved. It said the count of “Satisfactory” category days between October and early December 2025 has already exceeded those recorded during the same period last year. Month-wise data indicated that in eight out of eleven months, from January to November, average AQI levels were better than in 2024, with notable gains in October and November.
Category-wise figures also showed progress, with “Satisfactory” days rising from 66 in 2024 to 79 in 2025, while “Severe” days dropped sharply from 11 to just three. In October, the government said average AQI improved by 11 points year-on-year, while November saw a 20-point improvement and a decline in severe pollution days from eight to three.
However, these claims stood in stark contrast to Sunday’s reality. Delhi’s AQI touched a “severe” 491 in the morning, worsening from 441 recorded the previous evening, Central Pollution Control Board data showed. In response, the Commission for Air Quality Management invoked Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan. Authorities ordered restrictions on older diesel trucks, suspended construction activities, including public projects, and shifted schools to a hybrid mode.