Story perspectives

Delhi AQI Triggers Stage I Action Plan After Peak

By Drooid · Oct 24, 2026, 10:10 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

India’s Commission for Air Quality Management invoked Stage I of the Action Plan after Delhi’s AQI entered poor.
AQI hit 245 at 7 am on October 21, the highest in 100 days.
AQI fell to 185 on October 24, moving into the moderate category.
Transport sources contributed about 20 percent of Delhi’s PM2.5 pollution, the largest share according to IITM.
A ventilation index below 6,000 m²/s and wind under 10 km/h hindered pollutant dispersion.

History

Historical Context

India’s courts have shaped pollution policy since the 1996 Supreme Court judgment in M. C. Mehta’s Taj Trapezium case that banned coal-fired plants near the Taj Mahal. In 1999 the court ordered closure of 53 iron foundries and 107 other factories, creating a precedent for 2003 ruling that moved Delhi’s polluting industries. The Delhi Commission for Air Quality Management re-activated Stage I as AQI reached 245.

1 of 2

Story summary

India’s Commission for Air Quality Management invoked Stage I of the Action Plan after Delhi’s AQI entered poor.
AQI hit 245 at 7 am on October 21, the highest in 100 days.
AQI fell to 185 on October 24, moving into the moderate category.
Transport sources contributed about 20 percent of Delhi’s PM2.5 pollution, the largest share according to IITM.
A ventilation index below 6,000 m²/s and wind under 10 km/h hindered pollutant dispersion.

1 / 2