New Delhi, Delhi’s winter air quality has shown no consistent improvement in the four years since revision of the Graded Response Action Plan in 2022, with the city experiencing high pollution levels despite frequent imposition of stringent curbs, according to an analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air .
However, the analysis cautioned that these trends do not establish whether GR restrictions caused changes in pollution levels, as AQI is also influenced by weather conditions and the measures have evolved over the four winters. The analysis called for action across different pollution sources instead of relying mainly on temporary restrictions or concentrating efforts on a limited number of sectors. It also highlighted the need to address why emissions remain high enough for Delhi to repeatedly experience severe air pollution episodes, rather than focusing only on measures to be implemented once air quality deteriorates. The analysis used daily AQI bulletins issued by the Central Pollution Control Board and GR-stage records published by the Commission for Air Quality Management.
The analysis, based on daily AQI readings and GR stages between October 2022 and February 2026, found that Delhi spent around 78 to 83 per cent of observed days across the four winters under Stage II or higher of the pollution-control plan. To examine pollution trends following escalation of emergency measures, CREA analysed 12 instances in which Delhi moved from GR Stage II or below to Stage III or Stage IV curbs, identifying three episodes in each of the four winters.
Kumar said long-term clean-air strategies should prioritise reducing emissions at source across the national capital region’s wider airshed, with GR serving as the last line of defence rather than primary means of tackling pollution.
