Delhi has endured nearly ten consecutive days of very poor air quality since January 13
Rain brought brief visual relief but failed to deliver any meaningful improvement in air quality
PM2.5 levels remain far above safe limits, highlighting the limits of weather-driven relief
Delhi has been stuck in very poor air quality for nearly ten straight days since January 13, once again underlining how entrenched winter pollution has become in the capital. Over this period, conditions worsened sharply on January 18 and 19, 2026 when pollution peaked and thick smog blanketed large parts of the city, pushing the Air Quality Index (AQI) into the severe category.
Light showers were recorded today, briefly clearing the sky and offering a sense of relief. But the improvement has been largely cosmetic. Even after the rain, the AQI stood at 282 — firmly in the poor range — underscoring how little short bursts of weather can do once pollution has built up over days.
Between January 13 and 22, daily average levels of fine particulate matter PM2.5 remained consistently above 150 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³), with several days far exceeding that mark. The worst phase came between January 17 and 19, when Delhi endured a prolonged smog episode and PM2.5 concentrations crossed 250 µg/m³, tipping air quality into the severe category. These levels are more than four times the national 24-hour standard and pose serious health risks, particularly for children, older people, and those with existing respiratory conditions.
Today’s rainfall did bring a temporary dip, but the air is still far from safe. By 3 pm, average PM2.5 levels were at 122 µg/m³ — nearly 50 per cent above the daily permissible limit. While this is an improvement from the extreme peaks earlier in the week, it offers little comfort after more than ten days of sustained exposure.
A year-on-year comparison puts the scale of the problem into sharper focus. During the same period last year (January 13-22), pollution levels were noticeably lower. In 2026, average PM2.5 concentrations across these ten days are nearly 50 per cent higher than in 2025. Some days stand out starkly: on January 17 and 18, PM2.5 levels crossed 320 µg/m³ — almost double those recorded on the same dates a year earlier.
That pollution remains stubbornly high even after rainfall points to a larger structural issue. Winter conditions in Delhi — marked by low wind speeds, temperature inversion and high moisture — trap emissions close to the ground. Pollution from vehicles, industries, construction activity and biomass burning accumulates day after day, and once it does, a passing spell of rain is rarely enough to clear the air.
The past ten days are a reminder that Delhi’s winter pollution is no longer about brief spikes but long, exhausting stretches of toxic air. When even rain — often thought of as nature’s cleanser — fails to bring lasting relief, it becomes clear how deeply pollution is woven into the city’s daily life.
For residents, a temporary thinning of the haze offers little reassurance when breathing remains a challenge. The skies may look clearer for a few hours, but the health risks linger long after the clouds move on. Each winter episode adds quietly to a growing burden on lungs and hearts, especially for those who have no option but to spend long hours outdoors.
As Delhi moves through yet another polluted winter, the question is no longer when the air will improve, but how many such days the city is willing to accept as normal. Until clean air becomes a lived reality rather than a brief, weather-driven pause, rain will remain just that — a pause in the smog, not a solution.