Delhi saw hazy skies on March 10, as dust hung heavy over the city. Photo: Vikas Choudhary/CSE
Climate Change

Delhi’s dust haze is desert sand from Balochistan and the Thar

The phenomenon has no connection with the ongoing war in Iran, according to weather experts

Vikas Choudhary

First things first. The dust haze that hung over Delhi and the National Capital Region (Delhi-NCR) on March 10, 2026, had nothing to do with the war in Iran.

In fact, the cause was something regional: Desert sands from Balochistan and the Thar Desert, which are in the vicinity of the national capital.

The dust cloud though had nothing to with the ongoing war in Iran. It was formed by strong winds that picked up sands from areas such as Balochistan and the Thar Desert.

According to weather experts, strong westerly winds between March 5 and March 7, carried dust from Balochistan and the Thar Desert.

For the past 24 to 36 hours, wind speeds have slowed down tremendously. As a result, the dust particles are not able to move away and have been suspended in the skies over northwest India. Hence the dusty haze over Delhi-NCR.

Subsequently, wind speeds dropped. However, they are expected to pick up again and clear the dust haze over the national capital.

The wind speed is expected to pick up again in the next couple of days and will help sweep away the dust particles, according to experts.