Delhi breathes cleanest July air in 7 years: CAQM

Delhi recorded its cleanest July air in seven years with the average Air Quality Index (AQI) falling to 78, in the 'satisfactory' category, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said on Thursday. The AQI this July was even better than 2020, when pollution levels had dropped significantly due to restrictions on movement and industrial activity during to the COVID-19 lockdown. According to the CAQM, the average AQI for July in previous years stood at 104 in 2018, 134 in 2019, 84 in 2020, 110 in 2021, 87 in 2022, 84 in 2023 and 96 in 2024. The month also saw the highest number of days with 'satisfactory' air quality, 29 this year compared to 16 in 2018, 12 in 2019, 25 in 2020, 20 in 2021, 25 in 2022, 26 in 2023 and 17 in 2024. For the January-July period, Delhi reported significant improvement in air quality with the average AQI dropping to 184 from 204 in 2024 and 183 in 2023. The AQI during the same period was 209 in 2022, 205 in 2021, 159 in 2020, 215 in 2019 and 217 in 2018. There was not a single day with an AQI above 400 this year. In contrast, such days were recorded multiple times in previous years.

The city also witnessed its lowest levels of PM2.5 and PM10 between January and July this year. The PM2.5 concentration averaged 79 micrograms per cubic metre, the lowest since 2018 except for the lockdown year. It was 94 in 2024, 83 in 2023, 93 in 2022, 97 in 2021, 73 in 2020, 99 in 2019 and 103 in 2018. Similarly, PM10 levels averaged 180 micrograms per cubic metre, compared to 209 in 2024, 184 in 2023, 218 in 2022, 210 in 2021, 147 in 2020, 224 in 2019 and 234 in 2018. The CAQM said favourable meteorological conditions and coordinated efforts to control and abate air pollution contributed to the significant improvement. The commission added that measures would be intensified to sustain and further enhance air quality in the coming months.