New Delhi, November 29, 2025:
Delhi’s air quality deteriorated sharply on November 29, 2025, with the city’s overall AQI sliding to 390, firmly in the ‘very poor’ category. Triggered by stagnant winds, plunging temperatures, and a spike in stubble-burning across Punjab and Haryana, the crisis prompted the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to activate GRAP Stage II restrictions across the National Capital Region.
Under the curbs, schools from Grades 6 to 9 have shifted to hybrid learning, construction and demolition activities are partially restricted, industrial units face tighter emission norms, and municipal bodies have intensified mechanical road sweeping and anti-dust campaigns. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) expects little relief before December 5, as a slow wind regime continues to trap pollutants close to the surface.
Pollution Hotspots and Satellite Insights
As many as 15 monitoring stations breached the 400 mark, with Anand Vihar (420), Punjabi Bagh (415), and Wazirpur (408) emerging as severe hotspots. PM2.5 concentrations—15 times the WHO’s safe threshold— dominated Delhi’s pollution mix.
Satellite imagery from NASA’s FIRMS and ISRO’s MOSDAC detected over 2,300 farm-fire events across Punjab and Haryana over the last 72 hours. Experts estimate that stubble burning contributed around 40% of Delhi’s particulate load during the current episode.
Growing Health Crisis: Children at High Risk
Hospitals across the capital reported more than 5,000 daily admissions, primarily due to respiratory distress, asthma flare-ups, COPD complications, and viral-aggravated bronchial issues. Pediatric units saw a surge in cases linked to prolonged outdoor exposure, with doctors warning of lasting effects on lung development among children.
“Continuous exposure at these levels is equivalent to smoking eight to ten cigarettes a day,” said pulmonologists at AIIMS, urging parents to adopt indoor air purifiers and limit outdoor activity. Delhi records over 10,000 premature deaths every year due to toxic air, according to public-health estimates.
Government Response: EV Push, Smog Towers, and Green Hydrogen Pilots
Delhi Chief Minister Atishi announced the deployment of 500 additional anti-smog towers, enhanced PWD water-sprinkling operations, and a fresh tranche of ₹1,000 crore in EV subsidies under the revamped Delhi EV Policy 2025. The government is also launching green hydrogen pilot projects in industrial clusters like Bawana and Mayapuri to cut localized emissions.
The CAQM has asked factories to transition to cleaner fuels and ordered discoms to prepare for higher electricity demand to dissuade diesel generator use.
National Picture and Regulatory Crackdown
Air quality deteriorated nationwide, with 22 cities crossing 300 AQI, including Lucknow, Ghaziabad, and Faridabad. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) imposed fines of ₹50 lakh on multiple construction sites and waste-burning violators.
Meanwhile, the Centre reiterated targets under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)—a 40% reduction in particulate pollution by 2026—but environmentalists warn the pace remains insufficient without agricultural reforms and zero-emission public transport expansion.
As Winter Deepens
With pollution expected to persist into early December, Delhi faces a renewed public-health emergency. Experts say only a combination of aggressive enforcement, regional coordination, and long-term clean-energy transition—backed by hydrogen, renewables, and electric mobility—can prevent the capital’s air from plunging into its annual winter crisis.
