Home / Environment / Delhi Faces Imminent Air Quality Plunge Before Diwali
Delhi Faces Imminent Air Quality Plunge Before Diwali
14 Oct
Summary
- Delhi's air quality to slip into "poor" category this week
- First "poor" air quality since June 11, when AQI was 245
- Outlook shows air quality likely to be "poor" to "very poor" for 6 days
As of 2025-10-14T06:24:47+00:00, Delhi's air quality is poised to take a turn for the worse in the coming days. According to the Centre's Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS), the city's Air Quality Index (AQI) is very likely to slip into the "poor" category from October 14 to October 16.
This will mark the first instance of "poor" air quality in the national capital since June 11, when Delhi last recorded an AQI of 245. The city has enjoyed a clean air streak, with 77 "satisfactory" and 47 "moderate" days since then. However, with the withdrawal of the monsoon, falling temperatures, and the onset of stubble burning and festive emissions, the familiar smog season has now begun.
The outlook for the subsequent six days shows the air quality is likely to be between the 'poor' to 'very poor' category. Experts attribute this deterioration to factors like reduced wind speed, westerly to northwesterly wind direction, and marginal stubble intrusion. While stubble burning is not yet the primary driver, the situation is expected to worsen in the coming days as the festive season approaches.
In a positive development, the Delhi government has announced the declaration of the 41-kilometer area of the Southern Ridge as a "Reserved Forest," which is expected to significantly increase the city's green cover and improve air quality.
