In Delhi, breathing safely has been a coin toss for the last 4 years, says govt data

Data tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday revealed that the capital’s air quality breached the 200 AQI mark on 685 days since 2022 – crashing through the ‘poor’ threshold set by the CPCB and frequently spiralling into ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ territory.

The figure, covering 2022 through 2025, shows that residents of the capital have breathed air with an Air Quality Index (AQI) above 200 on nearly 47 percent of the days (nearly one in two days) during this period. Five other cities in NCR fared little better: Greater Noida logged 660 such days, Gurugram 645, Ghaziabad 592, Noida 580, and Faridabad 522.

The data, submitted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in response to a question by Rajya Sabha MP, shows that winters remain especially punishing in the Delhi-NCR region. In December 2025, Noida hit a peak AQI of 466, Ghaziabad reached 459, and Delhi touched 461 – all in the 'severe' category. 

The new year brought no respite. On January 18, 2026, Ghaziabad recorded a peak AQI of 458 and Delhi 440, while Gurugram touched 394 on January 20. And the situation is unlikely to improve anytime soon if recent developments are anything to go by. Despite the growing air pollution problem across the country, this year's Union Budget has cut allocations for pollution control.

According to a report in the Times of India, for FY 2026-27, the Centre has allocated Rs 1,091 crore – Rs 209 crore lower than the revised estimate of Rs 1,300 crore for 2025-26. These funds are channelled through the Control of Pollution scheme, which finances pollution control boards and committees, as well as the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) that monitors air quality in 82 cities.

Despite Delhi's recurring air quality crisis, government action remains significantly underfunded. According to RTI data, only 43 percent of the Rs 300 crore pollution budget for 2025-26 had been utilised as of January 20, 2026.

The air pollution problem shows no signs of abating. According to an analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), Delhi just endured its most polluted February in three years. It was also among the warmest February on record — and the two trends are likely connected. 

These interlinked challenges — worsening air quality, persistent particulate pollution and budget cuts — point to the need for deeper, structural solutions. 

Anumita Roychowdhury of the Centre for Science and Environment told Newslaundry last month that seasonal enforcement measures are insufficient; instead, structural and systemic changes are required.

“For instance, reducing vehicular pollution requires a massive transition to zero-emissions, meaning the electrification of the vehicle fleet must accelerate to eliminate tailpipe emissions. Simultaneously, we must upscale integrated public transport to curb the explosive growth of vehicles on the road,” she said.

“Similarly, waste burning can only be eliminated by achieving 100 per cent collection, segregation, and material recovery, and by eliminating waste dumps so that waste is not burnt in the open. Finally, the industrial sector must undergo an energy and technology transition to adopt clean fuels and processes,” she added.

These kinds of solutions, she remarked, require infrastructure and system-level changes, which demand scaled-up action throughout the year. 

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.