Delhi Air Quality Index (AQI) Today

About air quality in Delhi

This page tracks the Delhi, Delhi Air Quality Index using measurements from 59 Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) monitoring stations, published through the Government of India's open-data portal. Right now Delhi's AQI is 454 (Severe), with PM2.5 the dominant pollutant. The AQI is a single number from 0 to 500 that summarises how polluted the air is and what it means for health, built from pollutants such as fine particulate matter (PM2.5), coarse particulate matter (PM10), nitrogen dioxide, ground-level ozone and sulphur dioxide — the index reflects whichever is worst at the time.

How Delhi's air changes through the year

As a North Indian city, Delhi sees the country's sharpest seasonal swing. From roughly late October to February, cool and still air with temperature inversions traps emissions close to the ground, and smoke from post-harvest crop-residue burning in Punjab and Haryana — together with festival-season activity around Diwali — pushes the AQI to its yearly peak. The monsoon (June to September) usually brings the cleanest air as rain washes particulates out, with spring and early autumn sitting in between.

What drives air pollution in Delhi

The main contributors are vehicle exhaust, road and construction dust, industry and power generation, household cooking and heating fuel, and — in the cooler months — seasonal crop-residue burning across the surrounding farmland. Because the region is landlocked, there is little sea breeze to flush pollutants away, so they accumulate night after night during still winter spells.

Cleaner and worse areas within Delhi

Air quality is not uniform across a city. Among Delhi's monitoring areas right now, the air is cleanest around Cantonment Area, Delhi - DPCC and worst around Pusa, Delhi - IITM — a reminder that local traffic, industry and construction can make a real difference over just a few kilometres. The live area-by-area comparison above shows where to go and where to avoid at this moment.

Best time to visit Delhi for cleaner air

If cleaner air matters for your visit, the smog season from November to January has Delhi's worst air of the year, while the monsoon and the weeks around it, along with spring, are usually far better. Whatever the month, check the live reading on this page before heading out, and pack a well-fitting N95 or FFP2 mask for high-pollution days.

Staying safe in Delhi's air

When the AQI is in the Good or Satisfactory range, outdoor activity is fine for almost everyone. From Moderate upward, sensitive groups — children, older adults, pregnant people and anyone with asthma or heart disease — should pace themselves outdoors, and once the air turns Poor or worse it is sensible for everyone to limit strenuous outdoor exertion, keep windows closed, run an air purifier indoors and wear a well-fitting mask outside. This is general information rather than medical advice. We only display a number when a recent station reading exists — if you see "data updating", we are waiting on a fresh value rather than showing an estimate.