Delhi air quality drops to 'poor' AQI 261 as trans‑boundary dust hits

On 12 July 2026 Delhi’s average Air Quality Index rose to 261, placing the city in the ‘poor’ category. The Central Pollution Control Board and the Air Quality Management Commission identified mineral dust lifted by storms over Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan as the main driver, which raised PM‑10 concentrations across the Delhi‑NCR region. A meeting of the commission’s sub‑committee reviewed the situation with the India Meteorological Department and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, and decided not to activate the first phase of the Graded Response Action Plan, directing the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to implement ground‑level dust‑control measures instead. The AQI had been 48 on 9 July, the first “good” reading of the year, after rain had briefly cleared the air. Temperatures on 12 July were 36‑38 °C with high humidity and light winds, and no rain was forecast, so the dust influence is expected to lessen over the next two days. By 13 July the AQI fell to 152 (moderate). Experts note that dry weather, local vehicle and industrial emissions, and high humidity also sustain pollution levels, and that rainfall offers only temporary relief.