Delhi recorded 209 ‘good to moderate’ air quality days in 2024, the highest since 2018, barring 2020 which witnessed a sharp dip in pollution due to the COVID-19 lockdown, according to the central pollution watchdog CAQM.
The number of ‘good to moderate’ air quality days was 159 in 2018, 182 in 2019, 227 in 2020, 197 in 2021, 163 in 2022 and 206 in 2023, Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) data showed.
The city had 157 ‘poor to severe’ days this year, the lowest since 2018 when the number stood at 206, excluding 2020 (139 days).
February, December and August recorded the best average Air Quality Index (AQI) in six years.
January, however, suffered the worst air since 2018, hitting an average AQI of 355 due to stagnant winds.
Dry spells and high-speed winds from April to June, especially in May, brought heavy dust and pollution, making it the worst May AQI since 2018, the CAQM said.
Despite this, 2024 tied with 2021 and 2022 for the second-best annual average AQI of 209, it said.
The year also saw a significant drop in stubble burning. Farm fires fell to 12,750 in Punjab, Haryana and neighbouring areas, the data showed.
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