Pollution wreaks havoc in Delhi: AQI reaches 494, air in many areas extremely toxic

November 13, 2026

New Delhi: Air pollution levels reached dangerous levels in the national capital, Delhi, on Friday morning. At 7:31 am, Delhi’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 494. Dense fog and a thick layer of pollution enveloped the capital, reducing visibility in many areas. Pollution levels in many parts of the city were recorded in the severe category.

According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the highest pollution was recorded at IIT Delhi, where the AQI was 488. This was followed by ITO at 455, Anand Vihar at 419, Rohini at 413, and Rajokri Border at 402. All these areas remained in the severe category.

Air quality remained extremely poor in other areas as well. The AQI was recorded at 391 in RK Puram, 378 on Mandir Marg, 369 on Dwarka Expressway, 363 in Uttam Nagar, and 341 on Lodhi Road.

However, the AQI in the area around Dhaula Kuan was 161, which falls in the moderate category.

Government Steps to Reduce Pollution

The government is taking several measures to mitigate the effects of rising pollution in Delhi. As part of this, water sprinklers have been deployed in various parts of the capital to reduce dust and pollution particles in the air.

Saurabh Bhardwaj Questions the BJP and the CPCB

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bhardwaj targeted the BJP over the rising pollution levels in Delhi after Diwali. He also questioned the reliability of the Central Pollution Control Board’s AQI data.

While speaking to ANI, Bhardwaj, citing a report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), alleged that the actual pollution figures in Delhi were 49 percent higher than those shown on the government website.

He claimed that the pollution data had been manipulated and called it a betrayal of the health of Delhi’s 20 million people.

Bhardwaj said that according to reports in several newspapers, the actual pollution levels in Delhi were about one and a half times higher than the official figures. He cited the example of how if the AQI was shown as 370, the actual level could have been 560 or even higher.

Referring to a meeting with the CPCB, he alleged that the board had stated that once the pollution level reaches 999, it is not possible to measure the figures after that and levels above 999 are not displayed. According to Bhardwaj, in such a situation, the figures are shown as zero.

He said that the impact of this alleged error in pollution data is not limited to numbers, but also poses a threat to the health of children, the elderly, and approximately 20 million people in Delhi.

CREA report claims 49% increase in pollution

Saurabh Bhardwaj’s comments come following a report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). The report studied hourly PM2.5 data from 59 monitoring stations in Delhi.

The study found 255 hourly station records missing between 4 pm on November 8th and 4 pm on November 9th.

According to the report, the 24-hour average level of PM2.5 increased from 269 micrograms per cubic meter to 400 micrograms per cubic meter, representing an increase of approximately 49 percent in pollution levels.