Delhi’s air quality showed a marked improvement on Saturday, with the city recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 191, the lowest reading for October 24 in a decade, excluding the Covid period, the Delhi government said.
The improvement comes after Delhi recorded an AQI of 306 on October 24 last year and 275 on the same date in 2025. The Environment Department attributed this year’s lower reading to sustained efforts to control pollution across the capital.
An AQI Of 191 Falls In The ‘Moderate’ Category.
Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the figures reflected the impact of enforcement measures, regular monitoring and public participation. He said the government would continue its anti-pollution campaign in “war mode”.
As part of the ongoing drive, authorities issued nearly 9,883
challans to vehicles over the past 24 hours for violations linked to pollution control measures. Mechanical sweeping was carried out across 2,810 km of roads, while water was sprinkled over another 1,075 km to reduce dust.
The government said civic agencies also removed 12,702 metric tonnes of waste during the period. Another 2,223 metric tonnes of construction and demolition waste was lifted, while officials inspected 160 construction and demolition sites or plots.
Around 168 metric tonnes of road dust was also collected as part of the measures aimed at reducing pollution from dust.
Sirsa said departments and district administrations had been instructed to identify pollution hotspots and act against major sources of emissions. These include road dust, traffic congestion, unauthorised construction and the burning of waste.
The Delhi government is also relying on its Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) to track pollution levels and identify sources. According to the Environment Department, the system uses artificial intelligence-enabled tools, CCTV surveillance and air quality monitoring systems to assess pollution and monitor the implementation of control measures.
District magistrates and officials from relevant departments are also conducting regular reviews to assess the measures being taken and ensure that action is taken promptly, the government said.
Sirsa appealed to Delhi residents to support the pollution-control campaign by avoiding waste burning, disposing of waste responsibly and following pollution-control rules. He said continued public cooperation would be important to sustain the improvement in air quality.
The government said field inspections, technology-based surveillance and enforcement drives would continue in the coming days to tackle pollution sources and further improve Delhi’s air quality.
