Severe Fog, Weather Patterns, and Pollution Contribute to the Poor State of Air Quality
Delhi-NCR’s air quality crisis has further intensified in December 2025, with air quality
plummeting to dangerously high levels, which makes December potentially one of the
deadliest months in the last nine years. Air pollution, combined with thick fog, low rainfall,
and typical winter conditions, has resulted in dangerous air being entrapped above Delhi-
NCR, and the Air Quality Index (AQI) has continuously fallen into the ‘very poor to severe’
category.
AQI Levels Rise throughout the Capital
● On December 20, the AQI levels in the DELHI-NCR region showed readings above
400, classifying the air quality as having severe pollution with higher health risks,
including in areas such as Anand Vihar and Akshardham.
● Real-time pollution data from sensors indicate dangerously high pollution levels,
including fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and coarse particulate matter (PM10),
which are well beyond the acceptable limits set by health communities around the
globe.
● In the past week only, there have been several AQI peaks recorded in the range of
400-500+ in the city, resulting in one of the worst air qualities this December in at
least the last eight years.
The Reasons for Increased Pollution
● Specialists have cited a set of weather & environmental conditions contributing to the
crisis: dense fog and calm winds. This can lead to the trapping of pollutants near the
surface instead of their being dispersed.
● Low rainfall implies that the atmosphere lacks the natural cleaning process that
normally contributes to better air quality.
● Emissions from vehicles, construction dust, agricultural residue burning in adjoining
areas, and stagnant winter weather also worsen the problem.
Impact on Daily Life and Travel
● The thick smog has caused serious disruptions in travel, such as flights cancelled and
delayed because of low visibility.
● Thick haze reduces the visibility on roads, resulting in slower traffic, for which travel
advisories have been issued.
● Public health experts are cautioning locals, particularly children, seniors, or people
with lung conditions, against venturing out and advising the use of protective
equipment such as N95 masks.
In light of the deteriorating circumstances:
● The Delhi government has enforced drastic measures for pollution control as part of
its Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which involves working from home,
stopping construction activity, and restricting fuel.
● There is a growing public call for enforced action to preserve these restrictions,
including the banning of vehicles, as the crisis is now at its peak phase.
Conclusion:
The Delhi-NCR air quality crisis in December 2025 is more than just a freak occurrence; it’s
the consequence of a series of underlying environmental and climatic factors meeting at a
critical point of the year. With severe and dangerous levels of reported AQI, the area poses
serious threats to public health as well as normal functioning, but at the same time, because
of heavy fog, wind stagnation, and emission of pollutants, it can prove difficult to see any
improvement in air quality. The “need for long-term structural solutions” that are being
made “urgent” in the wake of the crisis includes cleaner fuels and stricter norms regarding
the emission of vehicles as well as cooperation regarding the burning of crops and “pollution
control infrastructure” in the region for Delhi to “avoid” periodic incidences of “toxic air”
that pose threats to “millions” of its citizens.
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