Delhi air quality index worsens
The gist
Delhi's average AQI reached 376 on Sunday, with 12 of 59 monitoring stations at 'severe'.
Fireworks and farm fires could push pollution higher in the coming days.
How it unfolded
- Nov 3, 2026Delhi's NH 24 highway was shrouded in heavy smog on a cold morning as pollution levels rose.
- Nov 4, 2026Delhi's AQI stood at 377, in the 'very poor' category, and authorities invoked Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP, emergency measures that tighten as pollution rises), adding road cleaning, higher parking charges, 20 extra weekday Metro trips and staggered office timings.
- Nov 7, 2026The CPCB recorded a 'very poor' AQI of 362; Swiss monitor IQAir ranked Delhi the world's worst polluted major city, and the Supreme Court questioned the effectiveness of government measures.
Key terms
- AQI
- A scale that indicates how polluted the air is and the related health risk.
- farm fires
- The intentional burning of crop stubble left in fields after harvest, done to clear land quickly and cheaply.
Source: Wikipedia