Delhi, 2 January (H.S.) : Delhi began Thursday, 2 January, with air quality in the poor category, as the Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 283. This marked a decline from the previous two days, as Wednesday's reading was 239 and Tuesday's was 236.

However, on Monday, there was a temporary improvement in air quality, with levels shifting to the moderate category after heavy rainfall over the weekend. This was a welcome relief for the capital city, which has been facing a severe air pollution crisis throughout 2024. In fact, 17 days in 2024 saw an AQI of over 400, representing dangerous pollution levels, and there were 70 days classified as very poor, the most since 2022. Of particular concern is the fact that Delhi did not experience a single good air quality day (AQI 0–50) in 2024, making it the first time since 2018 that this benchmark was not achieved.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar