Delhi average air quality index rises 78 per cent before Diwali
The capital's average AQI reached 293 from 165 a week ago, according to a Moneycontrol analysis.
Delhi's average air quality index (AQI) rose by 78 per cent to 293 from 165 a week ago, according to a Moneycontrol analysis. This increase follows a trend seen in previous years, with surges of 74 per cent in 2021 and 81 per cent in 2022.
The latest average of 292.3 is approximately 50 points higher than the 242 recorded during the same period in 2025. While the rise was slower than the nearly 90 per cent jump seen in 2025, the city ended with a higher AQI because it started from a higher level.
In the National Capital Region (NCR), five of the six cities saw deteriorating air quality. Ghaziabad recorded the steepest rise with its average AQI climbing 94 per cent to 258. Noida's AQI rose 87 per cent to 289, while Greater Noida's AQI increased 86 per cent to 259.
Gurugram's AQI rose 41 per cent to 214.5. Outside the NCR, Kolkata was the only city in the sample where AQI rose, increasing 22 per cent to 82.
Other cities saw improvements in air quality. Mumbai's AQI fell 15 per cent to 78, Bengaluru's fell 11 per cent to 79, and Hyderabad's fell 6 per cent to 63. Chennai recorded the largest improvement with a 29 per cent drop to 70.