The air quality in Delhi took yet another turn for the worse on Sunday — slipping past the 400 mark to fall well into the ‘severe’ category. A toxic haze lingered over the national capital region as the overall AQI stood at 391 by 7 am on Sunday. Delhi-NCR is yet to impose GRAP III pollution control measures despite a Supreme Court order that made the curbs mandatory from last year.
An AQI between 301 and 400 is considered ‘very poor’ with the potential to cause “respiratory illness on prolonged exposure”. The final level of the Air Quality Index is the severe category, ranging from 401 to 500. At this point, the air quality can “affect healthy people and seriously impact those with existing diseases”.
Pollution control work is underway at a war footing … Smoke from stoves and coal burners not only contributes to air pollution but also poses serious health hazards to residents,” Rekha Gupta, Delhi Chief Minister stated. However, Delhi has failed to implement GRAP III measures.
Why have GRAP measures been skipped?
Delhi was placed under level two of the Graded Response Action Plan last month as the AQI first surpassed 300 on October 19. It is pertinent to note that the Supreme Court had mandated the imposition of GRAP Stage III measures immediately once the Air Quality Index surpassed 350.
No official reasons have been given for the delay in implementation and the Commission for Air Quality Management is yet to hold a meeting about the prevailing situation. Sources told Hindustan Times earlier this week that GRAP II may have been retained because it was now ‘more strict’ than the previous year.
Situation better than last year says DPCC
The Delhi Pollution Control Committee also held a presser on Saturday to share a detailed update — contending that AQI levels were better than numbers recorded last year (on corresponding days) for most days of the week.
Sandeep Mishra, member-secretary (DPCC) on Saturday said, “Out of the last seven days, six have recorded better air quality than the corresponding days last year. This has been possible because of timely and coordinated action taken across departments.”
The briefing also addressed the measures being implemented by various Delhi government agencies to mitigate pollution as the winter season drew closer. According to reports citing the DPCC, air quality showed small improvement in early November 2025 when compared against the same period in 2024.
AQI during the first week of November
| Date | 2024 AQI | 2025 AQI |
| November 1 | 339 | 303 |
| November 3 | 382 | 309 |
| November 4 | 381 | 291 |
| November 5 | 373 | 202 |
| November 6 | 352 | 311 |
| November 7 | 377 | 322 |
Stricter emergency measures under GRAP III had taken effect from November 13 last year as the AQI soared. Delhi officials, however, insisted that in contrast, pollution mitigation actions had been initiated proactively this year. The DPCC said it had provided detailed instructions to various government departments — focusing on the Strict collection and transportation of municipal solid waste and demolition debris, as well as increased street sweeping with machines and intensified water sprinkling on roads to reduce dust.
What curbs have been announced so far for Delhi?
Delhi is currently following a slew of GRAP Stage II measures — including stricter vehicle regulations, mandatory use of anti-smog guns and water sprinklers at large buildings and pollution hotspots, and intensified cleaning of streets and clearing debris. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has urged locals to carpool or rely more on public transportation in light of the situation. The BJP-led government has also urged private offices to permit work-from-home arrangements and advised changes such as staggered office timings from November 15 to reduce peak-hour traffic congestion.
What is causing the pollution? Is stubble burning in Punjab the issue?
Delhi authorities have repeatedly blamed stubble burning in neighbouring states for the spike in air pollution — especially after a crackers-filled Diwali celebration sparked outrage. An Indian Express report cited data from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology to underscore its significant role. The IITM forecast (for November 8 and 9) indicated that stubble burning was likely to contribute 31.24% of the PM 2.5 levels in Delhi on Sunday — making it the most significant pollution source.
Data from the Commission for Air Quality Management’s Decision Support System however showed earlier this week that the contribution of farm fires was a mere 8.64% to 9.61%. The DSS data also added that the recent pollution surge was largely driven by local emissions and other regional urban activities. As such, the use of GRAP III in Delhi has the potential to help mitigate pollution by imposing stricter curbs such as banning older vehicles, halting non-essential construction and industrial activities, and shifting schools to hybrid or online modes.
