Report · 30 September 2026

187 AQI at Pusa (DPCC), 24 hours to 4 PM, 30 September 2026, the worst monitor in Delhi today, Moderate on CPCB's documented formula, and PM10 set that figure. 10.7 lakh people live within 4 km of it. The second monitor at Pusa, Pusa (IITM), read 159.

130.2

TODAY

Delhi's AQI calculated with CPCB's documented formula, the mean of 45 stations.

1.82 crore

NEAR MODERATE OR WORSE

Within 4 km of 42 Moderate-or-worse monitors: 87.1 per cent of Delhi, every pollutant counted.

3.3x

THE WHO 24-HOUR LINE

Delhi's PM2.5 today, as measured, against the WHO 24-hour guideline.

The AQI figures here are calculated with the formula that the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) publishes for its air quality index. CPCB's own documents set out that formula: CPCB's note on how the AQI is calculated; CPCB's AQI calculator.

The full report

The complete written report for this day, with every figure and the source it comes from.

Download the daily reportPDF, 4.0 MB

The day in brief

Today, 30 September 2026, 24 hours to 4 PM: Delhi's air today is 12.1 points worse than on this date last year, which is 10.1 per cent higher, and 55.9 points worse than yesterday, on the Central Pollution Control Board's own readings. Delhi's AQI was 130.2, Moderate, calculated with CPCB's documented formula as the mean of 45 stations' AQIs (CPCB's note "How is AQI calculated?" and its AQI Calculator; page 33 sets out the formula). 42 of 45 monitors read Moderate or worse on CPCB's documented formula, and 1.82 crore people, 87.1 per cent of Delhi, live within 4 km of one.

The year so far, 1 January to 30 September: the cleaner days of 2026 have been the dirtiest for these dates since 2019, because three days in four read above 106.0 on the particle AQI, against 89.8 on the same dates of 2025. The middle day reads 149.2 against 135.3 on the same dates last year. On an average day, 27.4 per cent of Delhi's reporting monitors, about 11 of 43, sat above 200 on the particle AQI.

The findings

What the report says

Against yesterday: the one-day move

From 74 to 130. On the 45 stations that reported on both days, the 95 per cent interval runs 50.6 to 60.9 points.

Against last year: the observed reading

Today 130 across 45 stations. The year is judged on the 38 matched stations: 132 today against 120, the mean of the same date ±7 days of 2025 at those stations. The interval runs 5.5 to 18.6 points.

The worst station in the city today

Moderate, set by PM10. Its PM10 averaged 239.6 µg/m³ over the 24 hours to 4 PM, 5.3 times the WHO 24-hour guideline of 45 µg/m³. Last year this station read 126 on the mean of the same date ±7 days, so the change is +60.6 points. It is one of the two monitors at Pusa; the second, Pusa (IITM), read 159. 10.7 lakh people live within 4 km of this monitor. Within 500 m of the monitor, 54% of the land is built up and 46% is under vegetation, so this reading describes a mixed neighbourhood.

The year, from its best days to its worst

On the same 273 complete dates, 1 January to 30 September, the best tenth of days reads 74.1 against 72.0 and the worst tenth 291.5 against 294.7. The days at or below 200 went from 197 to 195.

How much of the city was above AQI 200

That is 11.4 of 43.2 reporting stations, against 26.1 per cent over the same dates last year, a change of +1.4 points on an interval of -3.8 to +6.6, so it is unchanged inside its margin.

Who the monitoring network reaches

Within 4 km live 92 per cent of Delhi's people, within 2 km 45 per cent, and within 500 m only 3.6 per cent. Delhi has 55 monitors in 53 zones, of which 45 reported today, and 30 of the 53 zones stretch past 4 km, the distance that the US EPA's neighbourhood scale treats as the furthest a monitor speaks for.

What each monitor's reading speaks for

That is 87.1 per cent of Delhi, living around the 42 monitors that read Moderate or worse. No monitor read Poor or worse today. Pusa (DPCC) was worst at 187, and 10.7 lakh people live within 4 km of it.

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