Light rain accompanied by a thunderstorm in Delhi on Friday offered limited relief from pollution, with air quality remaining in the ‘poor’ category. The Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 297 at around 7 am, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
This marked a slight improvement from Thursday morning, when the AQI was recorded at 312 and classified as ‘very poor’. Despite the marginal dip, several areas across the national capital continued to report elevated pollution levels. CPCB data showed AQI readings of 317 in Anand Vihar, 335 in Ashok Vihar, 351 in Wazirpur, 326 in Punjabi Bagh, 315 in RK Puram, 342 in Bawana, 266 in ITO, 326 in Chandni Chowk, and 316 in Dwarka Sector 8.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the temperature in Delhi hovered around 16.4 degrees Celsius at 7 am.
Rainfall was also reported in parts of Jammu, where cold and wet weather conditions persisted across the city.
Earlier, on January 22, the Sub-Committee on the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) under the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) withdrew all Stage III measures across Delhi-NCR with immediate effect, citing improvement in air quality and favourable forecasts.
In a statement, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said, “The Sub-Committee had invoked Stage III of GRAP on 16.01.2026, following a deterioration in Delhi’s average AQI.”
The statement further noted that air quality in the capital showed a consistent improving trend. As per CPCB’s daily AQI bulletin, the average AQI declined from 378 on January 20, 2026, to 330 on January 21, 2026, and further to 322 later the same day.
Taking into account the improving pollution levels and air quality forecasts from the IMD and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), the CAQM Sub-Committee convened to reassess the situation and decided to roll back the stricter curbs.
