Feb 6, 2026: ‘Very poor’ air at Qutub Minar as funds to clean up Delhi's air remain unspent

For today’s Aaj Ka AQI, we visited the Qutub Minar. The closest CPCB monitoring station showed the AQI as 138, but our air quality monitor put the number at 305 – in the ‘very poor’ category. This toxic reality comes despite available resources.

Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha earlier this week, the government revealed that Delhi has utilised just Rs 14.1 crore of the Rs 81.36 crore released under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) since 2019. While Delhi has spent only about 17 percent of its funds, neighbouring cities like Ghaziabad and Meerut have already spent over 80 percent, according to the government’s reply.

The cost of Delhi’s failure to utilise these funds is paid for by its residents, who continue to breathe toxic air. According to the government's reply to the Rajya Sabha on January 29, Delhi saw 71 days of ‘very poor’ (300–400) air in 2025 – up from 64 days in 2021.

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.