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Delhi’s air quality has degraded sharply, with pollution slated to remain a concern over the next few days. On October 19, live readings featured the city’s AQI at around 224, thus signalling severe pollution on its displayed scale. The reading can vary across monitoring platforms and locations.
Over the last few days too, Delhi's air quality has seen a drastic turn for the worse, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) climbing to 216 at 10:31 am on October 17, according to AQI.in.
The reading was categorised in the platform's "Unhealthy" category, following a brief spell of cleaner air earlier in the 24-hour period.
Delhi Air Pollution Prediction for Coming Days
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) prediction, Delhi is likely to witness mainly clear skies with no rainfall expected through October 23. The lack of rain, combined with changing wind conditions and local emissions, could permit pollutants to accumulate. The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology’s forecast also hinted that air quality could remain in the poor category through the continuous six days.
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Why Delhi is Absent from World’s 20 Most Polluted Cities in 2026?
India comprised 13 of the world’s 20 most polluted cities, according to a real-time ranking on October 19. However, shockingly, Delhi did not feature among the top 20.
Data from AQI.in, accessed at around 3:30 pm IST, positioned Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh third, with a US Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 198, which is identified as unhealthy. Agartala in Tripura ranked fourth with a recording an AQI of 181.
Other Indian cities presented in the ranking included Pali in Rajasthan and Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh, both with readings of 174. Burhanpur in Madhya Pradesh also hit 174, while Rohtak in Haryana had an AQI of 172. Kota in Rajasthan registered 170, followed by Mumbai at 167, Hapur at 166, Hisar and Bikaner at 165, and Bareilly at 164.
Which Cities Ranked Worst in AQI Globally?
India was surpassed by world cities in pollution rankings. Indonesia secured the leading spot in the list. Palangkaraya, in Central Kalimantan, ranked first with a AQI of 242, thus positioning it in the severe category. Palembang followed with 207. Sampit and Jambi also featured in the top six, with readings of 180 and 176 respectively. Several Malaysian cities, including Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya, were also showcased among the 20 most polluted urban centres.
Why Was Delhi Not on the Most Polluted Cities List?
Delhi’s absence from the top 20 did not imply its air was clean. The city’s air quality had worsened overnight, according to the report. Its AQI peaked at 191 at 7:31 am on October 19, before deteriorating through the day and surpassing the 130s by afternoon. The previous day’s recorded lowest was 126 at 5:01 pm.