Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
2024 – Air Quality Perspective in Delhi
Delhi Records Highest Number of ‘Good to Moderate’ Air Quality Days in 2024, Excluding COVID Year:CAQM
Posted On: 31 DEC 2024 8:22PM by PIB Delhi
The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM), since its inception in 2021, through a series of firm steps, has initiated various policy measures and field actions towards abatement of air pollution in Delhi-NCR.
Continual, concerted and persistent efforts of all the stakeholders round the year also in 2024 have further helped to improve the general air quality in Delhi as is evident from a record 209 days during 2024 with the AQI falling below 200 i.e. in “Good – Moderate” air quality category. Barring the COVID year 2020, which witnessed long spells of very low anthropogenic, industrial and commercial activities during the COVID, owing to complete lockdowns and other restrictions, the year 2024 recorded the highest number of “Good to Moderate” air quality days.
Month-wise Avg. AQI for Delhi
|
Avg AQI |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
|
January |
328 |
328 |
286 |
324 |
279 |
311 |
355 |
|
February |
243 |
242 |
241 |
288 |
225 |
237 |
218 |
|
March |
203 |
184 |
128 |
223 |
217 |
170 |
176 |
|
April |
222 |
211 |
110 |
202 |
255 |
179 |
182 |
|
May |
217 |
221 |
144 |
144 |
212 |
171 |
223 |
|
June |
202 |
189 |
123 |
147 |
190 |
130 |
179 |
|
July |
104 |
134 |
84 |
110 |
87 |
84 |
96 |
|
August |
111 |
86 |
64 |
107 |
93 |
116 |
72 |
|
September |
112 |
98 |
116 |
78 |
104 |
108 |
105 |
|
October |
269 |
234 |
266 |
173 |
210 |
219 |
234 |
|
November |
335 |
312 |
328 |
377 |
320 |
373 |
374 |
|
December |
360 |
337 |
332 |
336 |
319 |
348 |
294 |
Delhi witnessed the best ever average AQI for the months of February and December during 2024, since 2018. The month of August, 2024 also recorded the best ever average AQI since 2018, discounting the COVID year 2020. Further, second best daily average AQI was recorded during 2024 in 2 months (March and April) since 2018, barring COVID affected 2020.
Absolutely still / very low speed wind conditions during January, 2024 led to an abnormally high average AQI of 355, which is the highest for the month of January from 2018 to 2024. Likewise, exceptionally prolonged dry spells from April to June particularly during May, 2024, coupled with high-speed winds leading to regional transport of fine dust and particulate matter from the adjoining areas as also transboundary, resulted in poor AQI for these months. The month of May suffered the worst ever average AQI in 2024, on this account for the period between 2018 to 2024.
Despite the vagaries of meteorology and weather conditions as above, the average AQI for 2024 has been the second best, at par with 2021 and 2022, barring the COVID year as tabulated under:
Avg. AQI for Delhi during the entire year
|
Year |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
|
Avg. AQI |
225 |
215 |
185 |
209 |
209 |
204 |
209 |
Comparative AQI Category status for Delhi
|
AQI Category |
No. of days |
||||||
|
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
|
|
Good to Moderate (<200) |
159 |
182 |
227 |
197 |
163 |
206 |
209 |
|
Poor to Severe (201 – 400+) |
206 |
183 |
139 |
168 |
202 |
159 |
157 |
Based on gradation of the average AQI, the year 2024 witnessed the best ever “Good to Moderate” and the least ever “Poor to Severe” AQI days (barring COVID affected 2020). The year 2024 also witnessed a record low level of episodic events of farm burnings during paddy harvesting season. Number of farm fires recorded during the paddy harvest season 2024 were 10,909 in Punjab, 1,406 in Haryana and a total of 12,750 including NCR areas of UP, Rajasthan and NCT of Delhi.
With persistent field level efforts and targeted policy initiatives for quantified results in the short/ medium/ long term, it is expected that air quality scenario over Delhi will see further gradual but marked improvement, year on year.
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VM/GS
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