Delhi's air quality remains in 'poor' category, AQI stands at 214

Delhi's air quality was in the 'poor' category on Sunday, with the national capital recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 214 at 7 am, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Air quality levels were also elevated in neighbouring National Capital Region (NCR) cities.

Noida recorded an AQI of 200, followed by Ghaziabad at 194 and Greater Noida at 181. Gurugram registered an AQI of 153, while Faridabad recorded 95. Among the NCR cities, Delhi was the only one in the 'poor' category. Noida, Ghaziabad, Greater Noida and Gurugram were in the 'moderate' category, while Faridabad recorded 'satisfactory' air quality.

Air quality readings varied widely across the country, with Khanna in Punjab recording the highest AQI at 320, falling in the 'very poor' category. Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh followed with an AQI of 300, while Kaithal in Haryana registered 274. Ambala, also in Haryana, recorded 257, and Gajraula in Uttar Pradesh stood at 253.

On the other hand, Gangtok in Sikkim had the cleanest air among the cities in the dataset, with an AQI of 15, in the 'good' category. Aizawl in Mizoram recorded 17, followed by Nayagarh in Odisha at 24. Barbil, also in Odisha, registered an AQI of 25, while Bettiah, Darbhanga and Madhubani in Bihar each recorded 28.