Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
azadi ka amrit mahotsav

2023 - Air Quality Perspective in Delhi

Posted On: 31 DEC 2023 5:39PM by PIB Delhi

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 and concerted efforts of all the stakeholders round the year also in 2023 have further helped to improve the general air quality parameters in Delhi as compared to the past few years (barring the periods of very low anthropogenic, industrial and commercial activities during the Covid affected year 2020, owing to complete lockdowns and other restrictions), pursuant to various preventive and mitigative field actions through numerous statutory directions and orders of the Commission, covering all major sectors contributing to the overall air quality.

 Comparative air quality related parameters for the years starting 2018 onwards follow as tabulated under:

Month-wise Daily Avg. AQI for Delhi

Month

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

January

328

328

286

324

279

311

February

243

242

241

288

225

237

March

203

184

128

223

217

170

April

222

211

110

202

255

179

May

217

221

144

144

212

171

June

202

189

123

147

190

130

July

104

134

84

110

87

84

August

111

86

64

107

93

116

September

112

98

116

78

104

108

October

269

234

266

173

210

219

November

335

312

328

377

320

373

December

360

337

332

336

319

348

    

Barring 2020, the year 2023 witnessed 4 months (March, April, June and July) with best ever daily average AQI and 3 months (January, February and May) with second best daily average AQI during the entire period from 2018 to 2023. 

 

      Daily Avg. AQI for Delhi during the entire year

Year

2018

2019

2020

 2021

 2022

2023

Daily Avg. AQI

225

215

185

209

 

209

204

 

     The average daily AQI for Delhi during the entire year 2023 has been the best so far since 2018 and even before that, barring 2020, which saw an exceptional AQI owing to continued spells of lockdown and low anthropogenic activities round the year. 

 

Comparative PM10 and PM2.5 Concentrations

     As per IMD data, comparative daily average Particulate Matter emission concentration (PM2.5 and PM10) values in Delhi read as under:

Year

Daily avg. PM10 (µgm/m3)

Daily avg. PM2.5 (µgm/m3)

2018

242

114

2019

217

108

2020*

180

94

2021

210

104

2022

211

98

2023

205

100

 

    * Covid Year

 

 

The Year 2023 has thus witnessed the lowest ever recorded daily average values for PM10 and the second best PM2.5 concentrations, barring the Covid affected 2020 with lowest anthropogenic activities.  

 

Comparative AQI Category status for Delhi

AQI Category

No. of Days

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

Good

(0-50)

0

2

5

1

3

1

159

182

227

197

163

206

Satisfactory

(51-100)

53

59

95

72

65

60

Moderate

(101-200)

 

106

121

127

124

95

145

Poor

(201-300)

 

114

103

75

80

130

77

186

159

124

144

196

 

144

 

Very Poor

(201-300)

 

72

56

49

64

66

67

Severe

401-450)

 

20

19

13

20

6

13

20

24

15

24

6

15

Severe +

>450

0

5

2

4

0

2

 

 

As per the CPCB criteria for the air quality category based on gradation of the daily average AQI, the year 2023 witnessed the best ever “Good to Moderate” AQI days , registering a mark of  more than 200 days (barring Covid affected 2020).

The number of days with Severe – Severe + AQI were 15 during 2023, which is also the second-best figure for the period between 2018 – 2023.

 

 

Comparative Delhi AQI around Diwali Festival

Year

Pre-Diwali Day

Diwali Day

Post-Diwali Day

2018

338

281

390

2019

287

337

368

2020

339

414

435

2021

314

382

462

2022

259

312

302

2023

220

218

358

 

The above tabulation indicates best ever AQI in Delhi around the Diwali festival in 2023.

     The year 2023 also witnessed much lower levels of episodic events like farm burnings during paddy harvesting season, bursting of crackers during religious festivals and marriages/celebrations etc.  However, the benefit attributable to the same in Delhi’s AQI, was nullified owing to much adverse climatic, meteorological, low temperature and calm wind conditions in the region, impeding effective dispersion of the pollutants and resulting in a spike in the daily average AQI during the winter months in particular.  Despite these factors, the overall daily average AQI during the year has been the best so far. 

     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.

MJPS



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