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Delhi Battles "Very Poor" Air as Technical Glitches Disrupt Data Reporting
26 Oct
Summary
- Delhi's air quality deteriorates to "very poor" category
- Technical glitches prevent timely updates of air quality data
- Stubble burning contribution reaches season-high of 3.71%
As of October 27, 2025, Delhi's air quality has taken a turn for the worse, with the city's 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 315, placing it in the "very poor" category. This marks a significant deterioration from the previous two days, when the AQI was recorded in the "poor" range.
The deteriorating air quality is being driven by a combination of factors, including emissions from the transport sector within Delhi and cross-boundary pollution. Notably, the contribution of stubble burning to Delhi's pollution has reached a season-high of 3.71%, according to data from the Centre's Decision Support System (DSS).
However, the reporting of air quality data has been hampered by technical glitches, with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) experiencing server issues that prevented timely updates to its website and mobile app. Despite the data disruption, hourly readings for all eight pollutants used to calculate the AQI were still available on the Delhi Pollution Control Committee's (DPCC) website, indicating that the data was still being gathered.
Experts have warned that the air quality in Delhi is likely to remain in the "very poor" category on October 28 as well, before potentially improving as wind speeds are expected to increase marginally. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) had already invoked Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) on October 19, when the AQI crossed the 300 mark.
