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Reporting on India’s air, pollution policy, and the science of cleaner breathing from the last 30 days, newest first. Earlier coverage is kept in the news archive.
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Outlook India reports Delhi's AQI was 307 ('very poor') at 7 am on 10 November, with unfavourable weather limiting dispersal after Diwali. It cites a Hindustan Times analysis finding 43 of 59 monitoring stations had PM2.5 data gaps between 10 pm and 6 am, and says crop-residue burning incidents rose to 1,248 on Diwali from 135 a year earlier.
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Business Today reports Delhi's AQI was 368 ('very poor') at 7 am on 9 November, with 20 of 59 stations in the 'severe' band on Diwali night and Sonia Vihar highest at 463. It says the Early Warning System expects 'severe' air for several days, and the Decision Support System put stubble burning's share at 3.5% on Sunday.
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The Week reports Delhi's AQI reached 371 ('very poor') on Diwali, with 19 of 59 reporting stations in the 'severe' category and the worst reading, 460, at Jahangirpuri. It cites the Early Warning System forecast of 'severe' air from 9 November for the next few days.
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Business Today reports that the Delhi Directorate of Education ordered government, aided and private schools to run classes up to Class 5 in hybrid mode after CAQM invoked GRAP Stage III on 6 November. It said school heads must inform parents immediately and district education officers will check implementation. The report cited Delhi's AQI of 364 at 8 am on 7 November and an IITM-Pune forecast of 'severe' air from 7 to 9 November.
Read moreBusiness Today, citing CPCB data, reported Delhi's AQI at 364 ('very poor') at 8 am on 7 November, with about 22 stations above 400 and IIT Delhi highest at 443. It attributed the air quality to stubble burning and festive-season traffic, and listed GRAP Stage III curbs imposed by CAQM across Delhi-NCR.
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Business Today reports that the Commission for Air Quality Management invoked Stage III of GRAP across Delhi-NCR on 6 November as a precaution before Diwali, with Delhi's AQI in the 'very poor' range. Curbs include a halt on non-essential construction and demolition and limits on BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers. IITM forecasts cited in the report say pollution could reach the severe category from 7 to 9 November.
Read moreThePrint reports, citing a CREA analysis, that Delhi's hourly PM2.5 reached about 300 µg/m³ on the morning of 6 November, the worst pre-Diwali spike since 2019. CREA's analyst noted that government estimates attribute 14% of Delhi's PM2.5 to stubble burning, with the rest from sources such as industry, vehicles and combustion. An IMD official quoted said no relief is forecast for the next few days.
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Business Today, citing CPCB data, reported Delhi's AQI at 367 ('very poor') at 9 am on 5 November, with a 24-hour average of 377 on 4 November and several stations above 400. It said the Decision Support System attributed 20.2% of Delhi's pollution to stubble burning and that forecasts warned of 'severe' air on 6 and 7 November.
Read moreSingapore's NEA said the haze situation has improved with inter-monsoon conditions and more showers, reporting a 24-hour PSI of 56 to 64 (Moderate) as at 7pm on 5 November. It forecast a Moderate PSI of 51 to 80 for 6 November and said most haze measures, including mask distribution and haze shelters, end on 7 November.
Read moreSingapore's NEA reported 24-hour PSI of 60 to 69 (Moderate) as at 5pm on 4 November and forecast a Moderate PSI of 51 to 80 for 5 November. It noted moderate to dense smoke plumes in southern Kalimantan, with light winds and showers expected to limit smoke transport toward Singapore.
Read moreThePrint reported environment ministry data showing farm fires between 15 September and 1 November fell about 38% in Punjab (1,514 versus 2,084 a year earlier) and about 64% in Haryana (42 versus 118). It also said Delhi's AQI rose to 350 on Tuesday from 324 on Monday, in the 'very poor' category.
Read moreSingapore's NEA reported a 24-hour PSI of 63 to 81 (Moderate) as at 6pm on 3 November and forecast a Moderate PSI of 51 to 80 for 4 November. It noted moderate to dense smoke plumes in southern Sumatra and Kalimantan, with showers expected to keep haze suppressed.
Read moreThePrint reported that the Supreme Court permitted certified green firecrackers in Delhi-NCR on 7 and 8 November in limited time windows, with a full ban from 9 November. It said only CSIR-NEERI- and PESO-verified crackers with QR codes may be sold, and the court listed compliance reports for 14 December.
Read moreDaily Jagran reported Delhi's AQI was 307 ('very poor') on Monday morning per CPCB data, after a 24-hour average of 261 on Sunday, with Jahangirpuri worst at 417. It said border teams turned back 1,539 non-BS VI vehicles on the first day of the winter curbs and that fines for PUC and construction-dust violations totalled Rs 68.4 lakh.
Read moreMillennium Post reported Delhi's AQI was 261 ('poor') on Sunday, the season's worst so far, as winter restrictions began, including curbs on outside-registered BS-IV and older vehicles, dust-generating construction limits and doubled parking fees. It cited forecasts of 'poor' air on 2-3 November, then 'poor' to 'very poor' for six days.
Read morePTI, via ThePrint, reported Delhi's AQI was 222 ('poor') at 9 am on Sunday per the Sameer app, with 31 of 54 stations in 'poor' and three in 'very poor'. It said Jahangirpuri recorded the highest AQI at 345.
Read moreSingapore's National Environment Agency reported a 24-hour PSI of 71-89 (moderate) and one-hour PM2.5 of 15-41 µg/m³ as at 5pm on 1 November. It forecast a 2 November PSI of 51-80 and noted localised moderate to dense smoke plumes in Kalimantan, with showers expected to keep haze subdued.
Read morePTI, via ThePrint, reported Delhi's AQI rose to 117 ('moderate') on 31 October from 60 the previous day, with 2 of 58 stations in 'poor' and Jahangirpuri worst at 243. It said forecasts showed moderate-to-poor air on Sunday and 'poor' to 'very poor' levels over the following six days, and cited the Decision Support System attributing 19.1% of pollution to stubble burning and 16.3% to transport.
Read moreSingapore's National Environment Agency reported a 24-hour PSI of 58-75 (moderate) and one-hour PM2.5 of 8-40 µg/m³ as at 5pm on 31 October. It forecast a 1 November PSI of 51-70 and noted moderate haze confined to parts of Kalimantan, with showers expected to keep haze subdued.
Read morePTI, via ThePrint, reported Delhi's average AQI on 30 October was 60, the cleanest October day since 10 October 2022, with 17 of 54 stations 'good' and Pusa highest at 105. It said air quality was forecast to be 'moderate' on Saturday and worsen to 'poor' by 1 November, with 44 farm fire incidents recorded that day.
Read moreETV Bharat reported Delhi's October 1-29 average AQI was 191.5, about 15% below 2025, with 16 'Poor' and 13 'Unhealthy' days, and that experts attributed the late-month drop mainly to rain. It cited ICAR data showing farm-fire incidents across six states down 31.3% from 15 September to 27 October versus last year, and experts warning pollution could rise with winter inversions.
Read moreSingapore's National Environment Agency reported a 24-hour PSI of 56-60 (moderate) and one-hour PM2.5 of 15-33 µg/m³ as at 6pm on 30 October. It forecast a 31 October PSI of 51-70 and noted moderate to dense smoke haze confined over parts of Kalimantan, with showers expected to contain haze.
Read moreThe Pioneer reported that Delhi's AQI was 229 on Thursday 29 October, in CPCB's 'poor' category. It also cited IMD data putting the Safdarjung minimum temperature at 19.2°C, 3.1 degrees above the seasonal average, and a forecast of cloudy skies with moderate rain.
Read moreSingapore's National Environment Agency reported a 24-hour PSI of 68–77 (moderate) and one-hour PM2.5 of 14–28 µg/m³ as at 7pm on 29 October. It forecast a 30 October 24-hour PSI of 60–90 and noted moderate to dense smoke haze over Kalimantan, with showers expected to help improve haze.
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