Delhi's pollution: It's not just the farm fires
Even with a big drop in stubble burning, Delhi's air remained dangerously polluted this October and November, though peak levels were lower than the past three years.
The real culprits? Local emissions from cars, traffic jams, and stuff we burn every day—these drove AQI into "very poor" to "severe" territory.
Traffic hours = pollution spikes
Pollution levels shot up during morning and evening rush hours, with carbon monoxide breaching safe limits at over a third of monitoring stations on most days.
Farm fires only added less than 5% to the mess—so it's mostly city life making things worse.
Why it matters for us
Delhi's average PM2.5 is stuck at dangerous highs since 2021, especially in places like Jahangirpuri and Anand Vihar where traffic and industry are heavy.
The takeaway? Cleaning up our own emissions is key if we want to actually breathe easy here.