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2024 – Air Quality Perspective in Delhi – EQ

2024 – Air Quality Perspective in Delhi – EQ

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In Short : Delhi’s air quality in 2024 faced severe challenges, with seasonal pollution spikes from stubble burning, Diwali fireworks, and adverse weather. Government measures included EV adoption, stubble decomposition, and stricter emission controls. Despite some progress, enforcement issues and health impacts persisted. Innovations like AI-based forecasting and green initiatives signal hope, but regional cooperation remains essential for lasting improvement.

In Detail : Delhi Records Highest Number of ‘Good to Moderate’ Air Quality Days in 2024, Excluding COVID Year:CAQM

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.

Anand Gupta Editor - EQ Int'l Media Network