Delhi's air quality has plummeted to a 'severe' level, painting a grim picture for its residents. On Sunday, November 9, 2025, the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital hit 391 at 7 a.m., according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). This marks a significant deterioration, raising serious health concerns.
Several areas within the city experienced particularly alarming pollution levels, with AQI readings surpassing the 400 mark. For instance, Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 412, Alipur reported 415, and Bawana registered the highest level at 436. Other areas like Chandni Chowk (409), RK Puram (422), Patparganj (425), and Sonia Vihar (415) also showed 'severe' AQI levels, indicating hazardous air conditions across the city.
But here's where it gets concerning: Just the day before, on Saturday, November 8, the air quality was already in the 'very poor' category, with an overall AQI of 355 at 8 a.m. And on Friday, November 7, the situation wasn't much better, with an AQI of 312. Even earlier, on Thursday, November 6, the AQI was 271, classified as 'poor'.
Over the past week, numerous monitoring stations across the city consistently recorded 'very poor' air quality levels. To illustrate, Anand Vihar reported an AQI of 332, Alipur 316, Ashok Vihar 332, Bawana 366, Burari Crossing 345, Chandni Chowk 354, Dwarka Sector-8 310, ITO 337, Jahangirpuri 342, Mundka 335, Narela 335, Okhla Phase-II 307, Patparganj 314, Punjabi Bagh 343, RK Puram 321, Rohini 336, and Sonia Vihar 326—all categorized as 'very poor' at 8 am, according to CPCB’s live air quality index.
And this is the part most people miss: Since Deepavali, the AQI in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) has been struggling in the 'poor' and 'very poor' categories across several areas, even with Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in effect. The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has already responded by doubling parking fees in the national capital due to the deteriorating air quality, as part of the GRAP Stage II measures.
To understand the severity, consider this: According to CPCB, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor', and 401-500 'severe'.
This situation raises a crucial question: What further actions should be taken to mitigate this crisis? Do you think the current measures are sufficient, or should more drastic steps be considered? Share your thoughts in the comments below!**
