Delhi's air quality exceeded the 200 AQI threshold on 685 occasions since 2022, crashing through the 'poor' limit established by the CPCB and often plunging into 'very poor' and 'severe' categories, Union minister Kirti Vardhan Singh said.
The statistic, spanning 2022 to 2025, reveals that the capital's residents have inhaled air with an air quality index (AQI) surpassing 200 on almost 47 percent of the days (roughly one in every two days) throughout this timeframe. Five additional cities in the NCR performed only slightly better: Greater Noida recorded 660 instances, Gurugram 645, Ghaziabad 592, Noida 580, and Faridabad 522.
Severe AQI in Winter
The information provided by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in response to an inquiry from a Rajya Sabha MP, indicates that winters are particularly harsh in the the NCR. In December 2025, Noida peaked at an AQI of 466, Ghaziabad reached 459, and Delhi came to 461, all well within the 'severe' classification.
The onset of the new year brought no relief. On January 18, 2026, Ghaziabad noted a peak AQI of 458 and Delhi recorded 440, while Gurugram hit 394 on January 20. Furthermore, the forecast for improvement appears bleak based on recent occurrences. Despite the escalating issue of air pollution nationwide, this year's Union Budget has seen a reduction in resources for pollution management.
As reported by the Times of India, for FY 2026-27, the central government has earmarked Rs 1,091 crore, which is Rs 209 crore less than the revised assessment of Rs 1,300 crore for 2025-26. These finances are directed through the Control of Pollution initiative, which supports pollution control boards and committees, alongside the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) that oversees air quality in 82 cities.
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