Delhi’s toxic air eases slightly but remains ‘poor’ as citizens plan December 3 protest

The capital woke up on Sunday to a modest drop in pollution, with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reporting an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 268 at 9 am, placing the city in the “poor” category.

However, this dip comes after more than three weeks of persistently hazardous air. The city’s AQI had stayed above 300 for 23 consecutive days until November 29, marking the second-longest streak of “very poor” or worse air days since 2019.

Despite the slight improvement overall, many neighbourhoods in Delhi remain shrouded in smog. Monitoring stations recorded “very poor” air in regions such as Shadipur (AQI 331), RK Puram (303) and Jahangirpuri (323), while others like Anand Vihar (282) and Patparganj (280) remained in the “poor” range. Outside the capital too, areas in the National Capital Region (NCR)—including Noida (AQI 266), Ghaziabad (260) and Faridabad (174)—continue to struggle with degraded air quality.

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The drop—from 305 on Saturday to 268 on Sunday—marks the first noticeable respite after more than three weeks of continuous pollution, but experts warn this shouldn’t be mistaken for cleaner air.

Meanwhile, public anger over the seasonal air crisis shows no signs of fading. Civil-society groups have called a protest at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday, December 3, urging residents to demand “clean, breathable air” from authorities.

The protest call comes days after another gathering near India Gate, where citizens—many of them mothers with children—had earlier mobilised to highlight the health risks of prolonged exposure to toxic smog. Organisers of the upcoming event, under banners such as My Right to Breathe and Warrior Moms, are calling on all Delhiites to join the peaceful demonstration and demand long-term action.

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In short: while Delhi’s air has seen a temporary dip, the relief is fragile and uneven. With AQI still hovering in the “poor” to “very poor” range across large swathes of the city, thousands of residents continue to face health risks, and now civil society is pushing for sustained response over token fixes.