Delhi Minister Sirsa Says City Recorded Best Air Quality In Eight Years In 2025: 'Science-Led Action Works Wonders'

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Thursday, January 1, that the national capital recorded recorded its best air quality in eight years in 2025. The statement comes in the wake of criticism over the Delhi government's handling of air quality.

Manjinder Singh Sirsa also said the PM2.5 levels declined from 104 micrograms per cubic metre in 2024 to 96 in 2025, while PM10 levels fell from 212 micrograms per cubic metre to 197 during the same period. He emphasised that science-led action worked wonders for Delhi.

“Delhiites gave us the mandate to serve, and we made clean air our foremost pledge. The record good AQI days in 2025 prove that science-led action works wonders,” Sirsa said.

As per the official statement, Delhi recorded nearly 200 days in 2025 when the air quality index (AQI) stayed below 200, marking an improvement of about 15% compared with the previous four years.

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It stated that of those 200 days, 79 days were“good” and“satisfactory”. The January-to-November average AQI stood at 187, the best in eight years, barring the Covid-impacted year of 2020, it said.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) classifies an AQI between 0 and 50 as 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor' and 401 and 500 'severe'.

As for the“severe” pollution days, they were just eight in 2025 – lowest in recent days.

The Delhi government prioritised air pollution control after assuming office in February last year and adopted a science-led approach targeting vehicular emissions, dust pollution, industrial emissions and waste management simultaneously, it said.

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Officials said dust mitigation was intensified through mechanised road sweeping, deployment of anti-smog guns and mist sprayers, and stricter monitoring of construction sites, supported by compliance surveys and penalties for violations.

The statement also said that innovation-driven measures, including cloud seeding trials and open challenges for pollution-mitigating technologies, were also explored to supplement the enforcement-led action.

In 2026, the Delhi government will focus on stricter implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), technology pilots and greater citizen participation to sustain the gains achieved in air quality, the statement said.

(With agency inputs)

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