Delhi’s Winter Air Quality: Delhi’s winter air pollution hasn’t shown steady improvement in the four years since the government revised its Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in 2022. A new analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) found that the city’s pollution levels remain high despite strict rules being introduced again and again.
The report studied daily Air Quality Index (AQI) readings from October 2022 to February 2026. It found that Delhi’s air quality kept going up and down instead of getting better every year.
Delhi’s Average AQI Remains High During Winter
The analysis found that Delhi’s average AQI was 280 during winter 2022-23. It rose to 304 in 2023-24 before falling to 285 in 2024-25. The average then went up again to 295 in winter 2025-26.
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The median AQI followed a similar pattern. It increased from 294 in 2022-23 to 324 the next winter. It later dropped to 289 in 2024-25 before rising to 305 in 2025-26. Both figures were higher in the latest winter than they were in 2022-23.
Delhi also spent around 78% to 83% of the observed winter days under Stage II or higher of the pollution control plan. The city recorded 32 days under the two strictest stages, Stage III and IV, in 2022-23. This number rose to 39 days in 2023-24 and 57 days in 2024-25. It dropped to 42 days last winter.
“That is roughly four out of every five days,” the analysis mentions.
Pollution Often Rose After Strict Rules Were Introduced
CREA also studied 12 cases in which Delhi moved from Stage II or a lower level to the stricter Stage III or IV measures. Three such cases were examined for each of the four winters.
The average AQI in the seven days after these restrictions were increased was higher than the average in the previous seven days in 10 out of 12 cases.
The biggest rise came after the measures were increased on November 2, 2023. The average AQI went from 317 in the previous week to 431 in the following week, an increase of 114 points. Other major rises were recorded after October 29, 2022, and January 3 and January 28, 2025.
The daily figures also found that average AQI was around 25% higher than the previous week’s average on the first and second days after stricter measures began. By the seventh day, it was still around 15% above the earlier average.
But CREA warned that these numbers don’t prove the restrictions caused pollution to rise. Weather conditions also affect air quality and GRAP rules have changed over the four years.
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CREA Calls for Long-Term Action on Pollution
GRAP was first introduced in 2017 and was substantially revised in 2022. It brings in stricter steps as air pollution becomes worse. These measures are meant to limit pollution during emergencies.
CREA analyst Manoj Kumar said the government needs to focus more on stopping pollution at its source across the wider National Capital Region (NCR). He said GRAP should be the last line of defence rather than the main way to control pollution.
The analysis also called for action across different pollution sources instead of relying mainly on temporary restrictions or focusing on only a few sectors. It said authorities need to find out why emissions remain high enough for Delhi to face severe pollution so often.
