Delhi AQI 'moderate' at 191; environment minister says govt in 'war mode for clean air'

Delhi’s AQI fell to 191 from 230 a day earlier, ending a three-day ‘poor’ spell, while minimum temperatures dipped slightly under partly cloudy skies.

The capital’s air quality improved to the “moderate” category on Saturday, ending a three-day run in the “poor” zone. The 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) fell to 191 from 230 a day earlier.

Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed the AQI at 191 at 4 pm on Saturday, compared with 230 at the same hour on Friday. The reading was slightly higher than the 185 recorded at 9:05 am but remained in the moderate category.

Also read: Delhi AQI improves to moderate at 185 after 3 days of poor air quality, temperatures dip

The improvement comes as Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa pointed to a year-on-year fall in the city’s AQI for October 23. It stood at 230 in 2026, against 305 in 2025 and 364 in 2024.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sirsa said, "We're making steady progress, but the fight is far from over. The Delhi Government is working in war mode to curb pollution and is doing everything possible to give Delhi cleaner air."

Under CPCB standards, an AQI of 0-50 is rated “good”, 51-100 “satisfactory”, 101-200 “moderate”, 201-300 “poor”, 301-400 “very poor” and 401-500 “severe”.

Also read: Long-term exposure to air pollutants can increase the risk of chronic kidney disease: Nephrologist explains

Minimum temperatures in the city dipped slightly on Saturday, and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast partly cloudy skies for the next few days. Safdarjung, which is considered representative of Delhi’s weather, recorded a low of 18.3 degrees Celsius. That was 1.1 degrees above normal but 0.7 degree lower than the previous day. The maximum temperature there was 32.9 degrees Celsius.

Also read: New GRAP actions failed to curb Delhi-NCR pollution in 10 of 12 episodes, reveals study

Other weather stations also logged a small drop in minimum temperatures. Palam recorded a low of 17.6 degrees Celsius, 0.7 degree below the previous day, while Lodhi Road logged a minimum of 17.6 degrees Celsius and Ayanagar 17 degrees Celsius.

An IMD official said partly cloudy skies are expected to continue for the next few days.

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