Delhi residents woke up to an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 195 at 8 am on Sunday morning. While classified under the "moderate" category, it remains just points away from slipping into "poor". Mundka recorded the highest AQI of 281, placing it in the "poor" category. Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 156 (moderate), Ashok Vihar stood at 146 (moderate), and the Delhi Cantonment area registered 115. Meanwhile, Chandni Chowk logged a "poor" AQI of 217, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The IGI airport terminal 3 recorded a “poor” AQI of 204 in the wee hours of Sunday. While IIT Delhi recorded an AQI of 250, placing it in the poor category. The CPCB data placed Delhi’s Punjabi Bagh in the “poor” category with an AQI of 226 on October 4. 

Check Area-Wise AQI: 

Anand Vihar: 156
Ashik Vihar: 146
Bawana: 233
Chandni Chowk: 217
DTU: 187
IGI: 204
IIT Delhi: 250
IMD Lodhi Road: 172
ITO: 139
Jahangirpuri: 243
Mundka: 281
Najafgarh: 179
Narela: 254
North Campus: 200
Okhla Phase-2: 229
Patparganj: 153
Punjabi Bagh: 226
RK Puram: 229
Rohini: 231
Sonia Vihar: 182
Wazirpur: 213

The rise in pollution comes just days after heavy rainfall improved air quality across the capital. Delhi's AQI on Saturday rose upto 163(poor), Friday recorded an AQI of 161 (poor).

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Even as the October month started with a surge in pollution levels, it is significant to note that September was recorded as one of Delhi's cleanest in the past few years. The CPCB said the capital is expected to record an AQI of 207, placing it under the "poor" category." On Tuesday, it may surge to 215.

Delhi recorded most polluted October Start In 4 Years

On Thursday, Delhi recorded its most polluted start to October in four years with the city’s air quality slipping to the ‘moderate’ category and the Air Quality Index settling at 166, according to official data. The last time the national capital reported a higher AQI on October 1 was in 2022, when the index stood at 186, also in the ‘moderate’ category, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.

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The deterioration in air quality comes immediately after a relatively cleaner September. Delhi recorded a monthly average AQI of 102 in September 2026, the lowest September average in the past five years, according to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The figure was 105 in both 2025 and 2024, 108 in 2023 and 104 in 2022.