New Delhi, India | December 23, 2025
Delhi continues to struggle with suffocating air quality, with no immediate relief in sight as pollution levels remained in the ‘very poor’ category for the seventh consecutive day. Dense smog and fog blanketed the national capital on Sunday morning, sharply reducing visibility across several areas.
According to the Delhi Air Quality Early Warning System, the city’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 366, firmly placing it in the very poor category. Low wind speed and unfavorable local weather conditions have contributed to the persistence of pollution.
📊 AQI Levels Across Major Areas
Data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) at 8:00 am showed alarming AQI readings across multiple locations:
Anand Vihar: 404
Bawana: 408
Wazirpur: 405
Jahangirpuri: 403
Rohini: 402
Mundka: 401
DTU: 400
Other areas also reported severely degraded air quality:
Alipur: 391
Ashok Vihar: 392
Punjabi Bagh: 380
Dwarka Sector 8: 387
ITO: 370
Sonia Vihar: 370
Vivek Vihar: 388
RK Puram: 381
Lodhi Road: 339
Burari: 341
Ayanagar: 304
IGI Airport (T3): 314
The India Gate and Kartavya Path areas were also shrouded in haze, recording an AQI of 363, classified as very poor.
⚠️ Health Advisory and Forecast
The CPCB forecast indicates that Delhi’s air quality is likely to remain in the very poor category until Monday. Health experts warn that prolonged exposure may aggravate respiratory illnesses and trigger symptoms such as eye irritation, coughing, itching, headaches, and breathing discomfort, especially among children, the elderly, and those with asthma or heart conditions.
🏗️ MCD Issues ₹54.98 Lakh in Pollution Fines
As part of its anti-pollution drive, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) intensified enforcement actions throughout December. Authorities issued ₹54.98 lakh in challans against violators involved in biomass burning, illegal dumping of construction and demolition (C&D) waste, and other pollution-related offenses.
According to MCD officials:
7,023 challans worth ₹43.26 lakh were issued for C&D waste dumping and air pollution violations
420 violators fined ₹11.72 lakh during inspections conducted between December 1 and 20
33.95 lakh collected specifically for C&D activity violations
34 illegal jeans dyeing units were sealed last week
A total of 356 monitoring teams were deployed across all 12 zones of Delhi to carry out extensive inspections.
