As winter attracts to a detailed, Delhi has reported its lowest month-to-month common air high quality index (AQI) in February at 214, based on knowledge from the Central Air pollution Management Board (CPCB). Regardless of this enchancment, consultants have warned that particulate matter air pollution nonetheless exceeds the Nationwide Ambient Air High quality Normal (NAAQS) and the World Well being Organisation (WHO) tips. Moreover, ozone concentrations as much as February have risen in comparison with earlier years, primarily based on CPCB knowledge.
The NAAQS in India units the secure ozone focus normal at 100 µg/m³ for an 8-hour common. Nonetheless, CPCB hourly knowledge signifies that whereas the focus has not exceeded this restrict, the frequency of near-threshold ranges has elevated. Ozone ranges have approached 90 µg/m³ on an hourly foundation extra steadily in January and February.
CPCB knowledge reveals that the hourly common ozone focus surpassed 90 µg/m³ for 37 hours this 12 months. This can be a regarding shift from earlier years, as based on the info in January and February of 2019, the ozone focus exceeded 90 µg/m³ solely twice. This quantity remained the identical in 2020. In 2021, the determine rose to 5 cases, and in 2022, there have been no hours the place the ozone focus neared the edge. In 2023, the ozone focus exceeded 90 µg/m³ for six hours, whereas in 2024, it was recorded for 4 hours.
Ozone is a secondary pollutant shaped within the environment and has critical well being impacts.
In the meantime, CPCB said that Delhi recorded its lowest AQI in 2025, on Saturday, with a median AQI of 121, as per the each day AQI Bulletin. The typical AQI of 121 for Delhi is the bottom throughout January to February within the final three years since 2023.
The final time February noticed a greater month-to-month common AQI was final 12 months at 220, and its third-best month-to-month common AQI of 225 was recorded in 2022.
The typical AQI as much as February 28, 2025 is 262, which is the second finest ever, greater than solely throughout 2022 with a median AQI of 253 for this era.
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The variety of ‘Good to Average’ air high quality days (with AQI <200) through the interval from January to February has been the second highest with 14 days every in 2025 and 2024, in comparison with solely six days in 2018, 12 days in 2019, 9 days in 2020, 4 days in 2021, 15 days in 2022, and 12 in 2023.
In line with the India Meteorological Division (IMD), 0.8 mm of rainfall was recorded at Safdarjung on Friday night. It has forecast a partly cloudy sky with mist situations for the week. Temperatures are anticipated to be above regular, with the utmost forecast to succeed in as much as 30 diploma Celsius and the minimal as much as 17 diploma Celsius, within the subsequent seven days.
In line with Sunil Dahiya, founder and lead analyst at Envirocatalysts, an environmental assume tank primarily based in Delhi, regardless of a noticeable drop within the month-to-month common concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 this February in comparison with the earlier 12 months, ranges stay almost double the each day Nationwide Ambient Air High quality Requirements (NAAQS).
“Moreover, ozone concentrations have reached their highest ranges for the month in recent times. This highlights that residents proceed to face hazardous air air pollution, underscoring the pressing want for a shift in technique. Prioritizing source-level emission reductions and increasing the evaluation framework to incorporate different pollution should turn into a high precedence to safeguard public well being,” Dahiya mentioned.
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