Home / Environment / Delhi's Air Quality Improves Slightly, but Experts Predict Severe Conditions Ahead
Delhi's Air Quality Improves Slightly, but Experts Predict Severe Conditions Ahead
15 Nov
Summary
- Stubble burning contribution to Delhi's PM2.5 levels drops from 12% to 8.54%
- Overall air quality improves from 'Severe' to 'Very Poor' category
- Forecast warns of 'Very Poor' to 'Severe' conditions from November 15-17
As of November 15, 2025, Delhi's air quality has shown some improvement, though the city continues to grapple with high pollution levels. Earlier this week, the contribution of farm fires to the city's air pollution peaked at nearly 22%, but on Friday, stubble burning contributed 8.54% to Delhi's PM2.5 levels, down from 12% the previous day.
The overall air quality index (AQI) in the capital dropped from the 'Severe' category to the 'Very Poor' category, with an average AQI of 387 on Friday, compared to 404 a day earlier. However, the forecast from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) suggests that the situation is likely to worsen in the coming days. The agency predicts that the share of farm fires will rise to 16.36% on Saturday, and the air quality is expected to be in the 'Very Poor' to 'Severe' range from November 15 to 17.
Factors such as low temperatures, calm winds, and the influx of smoke from crop residue burning in neighboring states continue to contribute to Delhi's air pollution crisis. Satellite data recorded over 1,000 stubble-burning incidents across six states on Saturday, with the highest numbers in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
