Delhi’s AQI In ‘Very Poor’ Category Post-Diwali, THESE Haryana Cities Breathe Worst Air

Delhi-NCR continued to choke from hazardous air quality on Wednesday morning, with several areas falling under the ‘very poor’ category. This comes just two days after the city recorded its worst air quality in four years on Diwali. On Monday night, pollution levels spiked sharply as PM2.5 concentrations peaked at 675, making the post-Diwali air dense and dangerous for residents across the capital and nearby regions, PTI reported.

While most air quality monitoring stations in Delhi recorded ‘very poor’ air, two cities in neighbouring Haryana performed worse. According to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) 24-hour average data collected till 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Haryana’s Dharuhera and Jind registered the worst AQI levels in the country. Dharuhera, in Rewari district, recorded a ‘severe’ AQI of 412 with PM2.5 as the major pollutant, while Jind reported an even higher AQI of 421.  

According to the official categorisation, an AQI of 0-50 is considered 'good', 51-100 is considered 'satisfactory', 101-200 is considered 'moderate', 201-300 is considered 'poor', 301-400 is considered 'very poor' and 401-500 is considered 'severe'.

Other places in Haryana also recorded ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ AQI levels. Similar air pollution levels were recorded in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, the data showed. Overall, out of 271 cities mapped for AQI by CPCB, only 20 showed ‘good’ AQI, based on 24-hour average data released at 4 p.m. on Tuesday. As many as 54 cities recorded ‘satisfactory’ AQI, 102 - ‘moderate’, 79 - ‘poor’ and 14 - ‘very poor’. 

Ashok Vihar - 377

Anand Vihar - 353

Burari Crossing - 350

Mundka - 325

Narela - 324

Punjabi Bagh - 423

Pusa - 363

RK Puram - 383

Rohini - 369

Vivek Vihar - 355

Wazirpur - 392

Most of these places recorded high levels of PM2.5, which are tiny airborne particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs, posing serious health risks. Prolonged exposure to AQI levels between 301–400 (‘very poor’) can lead to respiratory illnesses, while ‘severe’ AQI can affect healthy people and seriously impact those with existing diseases.