📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Fredericknoronha
Weather
Delhi records lowest September average AQI in five years
✍️ Business Standard
🗓 01 Oct 2026, 12:47 AM
👁 11
Delhi's average Air Quality Index for September fell to its lowest level in five years, indicating a marked improvement in the capital's air quality.
The Capital's environmental monitoring agency reported that the average Air Quality Index (AQI) for September dropped to its lowest figure in half a decade. Data collected from the city's network of monitoring stations showed a consistent decline in pollutant concentrations throughout the month, bringing the overall average down to a level not seen since 2019.
Officials attributed the improvement to a combination of factors, including favorable weather patterns, reduced vehicular traffic during the monsoon transition, and the continued implementation of the Clean Air Programme. The reduction was most pronounced for particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), which are the primary contributors to Delhi's chronic haze.
While the drop in AQI offers a welcome respite for residents, authorities cautioned that the improvement is seasonal and urged sustained efforts to maintain cleaner air year-round. The agency plans to release a detailed report next week outlining the specific measures that yielded the best results.
Public health experts welcomed the news, noting that lower AQI levels can reduce respiratory ailments and improve overall well‑being, especially for vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly.
The city will continue to monitor air quality closely and implement stricter emission controls as part of its long‑term strategy to achieve the national air quality standards.
Officials attributed the improvement to a combination of factors, including favorable weather patterns, reduced vehicular traffic during the monsoon transition, and the continued implementation of the Clean Air Programme. The reduction was most pronounced for particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), which are the primary contributors to Delhi's chronic haze.
While the drop in AQI offers a welcome respite for residents, authorities cautioned that the improvement is seasonal and urged sustained efforts to maintain cleaner air year-round. The agency plans to release a detailed report next week outlining the specific measures that yielded the best results.
Public health experts welcomed the news, noting that lower AQI levels can reduce respiratory ailments and improve overall well‑being, especially for vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly.
The city will continue to monitor air quality closely and implement stricter emission controls as part of its long‑term strategy to achieve the national air quality standards.