- By Kamakshi Bishnoi
- Fri, 18 Jul 2025 07:00 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
In a significant environmental turnaround, the city's air quality has shown marked improvement in the first half of 2025, registering the cleanest levels in the past five years. From January to June this year, the average Air Quality Index (AQI) has dropped to 149—down from 208 in 2021—indicating a tangible reduction in pollution levels that residents are beginning to feel.
Officials attribute this improvement to multiple factors, including the ban on refuelling vehicles older than 15 years and favourable weather conditions. Notably, the enforcement of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) at stricter AQI thresholds has also played a key role.
The Supreme Court's 2024 directive revised the threshold for GRAP implementation from 400 to a range of 300–350, allowing earlier intervention and better pollution control.
Environmental expert Dr Renu Dhupar, Director of the Environment Department at Amity University, noted that apart from vehicle regulations, a decline in stubble-burning incidents in Punjab and Haryana, coupled with favourable wind directions, has limited the influx of external pollutants this year.
Despite the overall positive trend, concerns remain regarding seasonal spikes. “While air quality is improving year after year, winter pollution and dust from construction continue to pose challenges,” said Utsav Sharma, Regional Officer, State Pollution Control Board, Noida.
Year-Wise AQI Data (According to Pollution Department):
2021 – 208
2022 – 199
2023 – 188
2024 – 184
2025 (Till June) – 149
With these promising developments, authorities are hopeful that continued enforcement and awareness will help maintain the momentum in improving urban air quality.
