Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘poor’ category on Wednesday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 230 at 8am. The minimum temperature stood at 15.7°C, which was 0.4 degrees below normal, according to weather data.
The development followed the national capital’s coldest day of the month on Tuesday, when the minimum temperature dropped to 15.3°C.
Two monitoring stations, Jahangirpuri and Vivek Vihar, recorded ‘very poor’ air quality, with AQI readings of 307 and 320, respectively. Sixteen other monitoring stations reported air quality in the ‘moderate’ category.
Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI stood at 197 at 4pm on Tuesday before deteriorating to the ‘poor’ category by evening.
Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed that PM2.5 was the predominant pollutant at 42 of the 58 reporting stations at 6am on Wednesday. PM10 was the main pollutant at 15 stations.
Farm Fires in Punjab and Haryana Below Last Year’s Count
Satellite data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) detected 767 farm fires across Punjab and Haryana between October 1 and October 27. Of these, 661 were recorded in Punjab and 106 in Haryana, including 65 fires detected on Tuesday.
The total was lower than the 1,048 fires recorded during the corresponding period last year. However, the figures may underestimate the actual number of incidents because the timing of stubble burning has increasingly shifted to later hours, reducing the likelihood of satellite detection.
An analysis of data from the European Meteosat weather satellite found that 98% of the fire heat recorded in 2025 occurred after 3pm, compared with 94% in 2024. The satellite scans the region every 15 minutes, while NASA’s observations may miss fires that begin after its satellite passes over the area at approximately 1.30pm.
Research group iFOREST has also highlighted the limitations of satellite-based fire counts. NASA detected 4,824 farm fires in Punjab and Haryana between October 1 and November 30, 2025, 94% fewer than during the same period in 2021. However, the area burned declined by only 19%, suggesting that the reduction in recorded fires did not correspond to a comparable fall in the area affected.
Data from India’s INSAT-3DS satellite showed a similar pattern, with 99% of the fire pixels identified in Punjab and Haryana from October 16, 2025, occurring after 3pm.
Ayanagar Records Lowest Minimum Temperature
Among Delhi’s five weather stations, Ayanagar recorded the lowest minimum temperature at 14.8°C. Palam followed at 15.5°C, while Safdarjung recorded 15.7°C.
Lodhi Road registered a minimum temperature of 16.2°C, and the Ridge station recorded 16.5°C, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data.
On Tuesday, Safdarjung recorded a maximum temperature of 31.5°C, 0.3 degrees below normal. Palam registered 29.9°C, while Lodhi Road recorded 31.2°C. The maximum temperatures at the Ridge and Ayanagar stations were 31°C and 30.8°C, respectively.
The combination of poor air quality and falling temperatures continues to pose concerns for residents, particularly as particulate pollution remains widespread across the capital.
