Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Thursday, January 1, said that the national capital will record its best air quality in eight years in 2025. The statement comes amid criticism over the Delhi government’s handling of air quality.
Manjinder Singh Sirsa also said that PM2.5 levels have come down from 104 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024 to 96 in 2025, while PM10 levels have come down from 212 micrograms per cubic meter to 197 in the same period. He emphasized that science-led action has done wonders for Delhi.
“Delhiites have given us a mandate to serve and we have made clean air our core commitment. AQI’s record good days in 2025 prove that science-led action works wonders,” Sirsa said.
According to an official statement, in 2025, Delhi recorded nearly 200 days where the Air Quality Index (AQI) remained below 200, an improvement of about 15% compared to the previous four years.
He stated that of those 200 days, 79 were “good” and “satisfactory”. The average AQI from January to November was 187, the best in eight years, excluding 2020 which was affected by Covid.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) classifies AQIs between 0 and 50 as “good”, 51 and 100 as “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 as “moderate”, 201 and 300 as “poor”, 301 and 400 as “very poor” and 401 and 400
In terms of “severe” pollution days, there were just eight in 2025 – the fewest on record.
The Delhi government, after assuming office in February last year, prioritized air pollution control and adopted a science-based approach targeting vehicular emissions, dust pollution, industrial emissions and waste management simultaneously, it said.
Dust mitigation has been stepped up by mechanized road sweeping, the deployment of anti-smog guns and fog sprayers and tighter monitoring of construction sites, backed by compliance surveys and penalties for violations, officials said.
The statement also said that measures aimed at innovation, including cloud deployment trials and open calls for pollution mitigation technologies, were also explored to complement enforcement-led measures.
In 2026, the Delhi government will focus on stricter implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), technology pilots and greater citizen engagement to sustain air quality gains, the statement said.
