Nov 26, 2025: ‘Very poor’ AQI even in Delhi’s lungs

Sanjay Van is one of the greenest stretches in Delhi – a 784-acre forest thick with thousands of trees and a daily refuge for walkers and runners. But even here, the air is far from clean.

The nearest DPCC monitoring station, at Aurobindo Marg, recorded an AQI of 183, placing it in the ‘moderate’ category. Our own portable monitor, however, showed an AQI of 357, or  ‘very poor.

On November 24, a high-level meeting chaired by the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister decided to accelerate the shift to electric vehicles, expand charging infrastructure, and step up enforcement measures.

A recent report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air also flagged Delhi as the most polluted among all states and union territories. It found that 60 percent of India’s 749 districts exceed the annual National Ambient Air Quality Standards limit of 40 µg/m³, and not a single district meets the WHO’s PM2.5 guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Watch.

This show is part of a collaborative campaign to tackle air pollution. Here’s how you can join the Fight To Breathe. Click here to power this campaign.