Key Highlights

• Third straight day: Delhi’s air quality stayed in the ‘poor’ category on Saturday, with an AQI of 180 recorded as per the latest data.
• Worst-hit areas: Jahangirpuri (270), Mundka (264), Vivek Vihar (261) and Alipur (254) were among the most polluted monitoring stations.
• GRAP Stage I in force: CAQM invoked Stage I of the Graded Response Action Plan across Delhi-NCR earlier this week.
• Hotspot action plans: Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has directed officials to prepare targeted plans with fixed responsibilities and deadlines.
• Transport leads pollution: Government data shows transport is the largest listed contributor at 20.3 per cent.

Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘poor’ category for the third consecutive day on Saturday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 180, according to the latest data. Smoke from Dussehra celebrations, combined with unfavourable weather conditions, has pushed pollution levels up across Delhi-NCR.

Area-Wise AQI: Where the Air Is Worst

Several monitoring stations across the Capital reported elevated readings. The most affected areas were:

Other stations included IIT Delhi (221), Burari Crossing (217), Chandni Chowk (211), Pusa (209), Sirifort (209), Dwarka-Sector 8 (206), Commonwealth Sports Complex (198), Mandir Marg (186), NSIT Dwarka (182), Burari (180), Uttam Nagar (170), Aya Nagar (168), Karala (165), Jharoda Kalan (148) and Vasundhara Enclave (146).

Friday Saw ‘Very Poor’ Spikes

On Friday, three stations slipped into the ‘very poor’ category: Pusa (319), R.K. Puram (307) and Punjabi Bagh (302). Of the 56 stations that reported data, 36 recorded poor air quality, while the rest were in the moderate range.

GRAP Stage I Remains in Force

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked Stage I of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR earlier this week after the AQI slipped into the poor category. The measures focus on dust suppression, compliance with construction and demolition norms, better waste management and control of vehicular emissions.

Sirsa Orders Hotspot-Specific Action Plans

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has directed officials to draw up targeted action plans for identified pollution hotspots. These plans will identify local sources, assign responsibility to the agencies concerned and set deadlines for corrective action.

At a review meeting, Sirsa asked officials to analyse AQI monitoring data to pinpoint the main contributors in different areas, including road dust, vehicular congestion, construction, unauthorised parking and waste burning.

What’s Polluting Delhi’s Air

Government data shows transport is the largest contributor among the listed sources at 20.3 per cent. It is followed by residential sources (5.2 per cent), industries (4.2 per cent), construction (2.6 per cent), energy (2 per cent), waste burning (1.8 per cent), road dust (1.4 per cent) and other sources (1.3 per cent).

Why It Matters

Late October usually marks the start of Delhi’s toughest pollution stretch, as cooler temperatures and slower winds trap pollutants close to the ground. With Diwali celebrations approaching in the coming weeks, early action at the hotspot level could decide how severe the coming weeks become for residents, especially children, the elderly and people with respiratory conditions.

What Comes Next

If weather conditions stay unfavourable, authorities may need to move to stricter GRAP stages. For now, the success of Sirsa’s hotspot-specific approach will depend on how quickly agencies act on the ground.