Delhi's air finally moved up to the "poor" category with an AQI of 290 on Sunday, November 15, 2026, a noticeable step up after days stuck in "very poor" levels with several hourly readings nearing the "severe" mark and one reading crossing it once.
The last time things were this (relatively) okay was back on November 10.
Biomass burning 37.1% of Delhi PM2.5
A bit of wind and some light drizzle helped clear out some of the pollution, according to weather officials.
Still, biomass burning was the largest contributor, accounting for 37.1% of PM2.5, plus traffic and other sources.
But don't get too comfortable; the forecast says air quality could dip back to "very poor" by November 17-18.