Delhi AQI improved nearly 16 percent as local sources prevailed
Turns out, stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana barely made a dent in Delhi's air quality.
Although fires fell sharply between 2024 and 2025, they were essentially unchanged between 2025 and 2026.
Delhi's mean AQI fell by nearly 16% between 2025 and 2026.
The big takeaway? Local, non-agricultural sources played a larger role in determining Delhi's air quality, rather than farms outside.
Delhi median AQI rose, extremes fell
The report points out that while average AQI numbers got better, typical daily air quality actually slipped a bit (median AQI went up).
There were fewer extreme "bad air" days, down from 10 to just three, but everyday pollution still needs work.
Weather didn't make things worse either, even with way less rain and El Nino in play.
Bottom line: fixing local emissions is key if we want cleaner air in Delhi.