Parliament Winter Session: Center says Delhi’s air pollution improving, credits multi-agency efforts

The environment ministry told Parliament on Monday (December 1) that air pollution in Delhi-NCR is driven by multiple factors including dense population, heavy vehicle activity, industrial emissions, construction dust, biomass burning and landfill fires. Weather conditions during winter trap more pollutants, worsening air quality.

On the first day of the winter session, the ministry said stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana remains an “accidental” factor increasing pollution levels in the region. However, both states have recorded a significant improvement this year, with nearly 90% decline in the incidence of field fires during the 2025 paddy harvesting season compared to 2022.

According to the Centre, Delhi has seen steady progress due to coordinated action by multiple agencies.

• The number of days with “good” air quality (AQI below 200) has increased from 110 in 2016 to 200 days in 2025.
• Days with “very poor” and “severe” air quality are set to fall from 71 in 2024 to 50 in 2025.
• Excluding the 2020 lockdown period, Delhi has recorded its lowest average AQI in eight years.

The ministry said continued enforcement and long-term pollution control measures are helping improve air quality across the capital region.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said Delhi recorded its lowest January-November average air quality index (AQI) since 2018, excluding the Covid lockdown year of 2020. The average AQI for this year’s period was 187, while it was 201 in 2024, 190 in 2023, 199 in 2022, 197 in 2021, 172. 203 in 2020, 203 in 2019 and 213 in 2018, the CAQM said in a statement.

Only three days between January and November this year saw a daily average AQI of more than 400 (severe category). There were 11 such days in 2024, 12 in 2023, four in 2022, 17 in 2021, 11 in 2020, 16 in 2019 and 2018.

The statement said that so far this year the figure of 450 has not been crossed even on a single day.

PM2.5 concentrations for the period up to November 27 were the lowest since 2018 and on par with 2020. The average this year was 85 micrograms per cubic metre, compared to 98 in 2024, 90 in 2023 and 2022, 95 in 2021, 85 in 2020, 99 in 2019 and 103 in 2018.

PM10 levels were also the lowest for the same period since 2018, except in 2020. The average this year was 183 micrograms per cubic metre, compared to 205 in 2024, 193 in 2023, 202 in 2022, 200 in 2021, 167 in 2020, 210 and 228 in 2019. In 2018.