No 'good' days for Delhi air in Jan as winter makes pollution worse

Average monthly AQI at 'very poor' category, city eases graded action plan

Delhi’s air was polluted all of January, a crisis made worse since last year due to fog, calm winds and low temperatures.

Average monthly air quality index (AQI) was 311, data from the state-run Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed. AQI was 279 in January 2022.

AQI measures the concentration of poisonous particulate matter PM2.5, which can cause cardiovascular and respiratory diseases such as lung cancer, in a cubic metre of air. An AQI of 0-50 is considered ‘good’, 51-100 ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 'moderate’, 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 ‘very poor’, and 401-500 ‘severe’. Above 500 is the ‘severe-plus or emergency’ category.

AQI