Delhi’s decades-long battle for clean air and safe water has entered another critical phase, with the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) unveiling ambitious air-quality targets to be achieved by the end of 2026. Backed by a steadily rising budget, the plan seeks to cut pollution levels across key indicators and push the national capital toward healthier living conditions, even as experts caution that the proposed targets still fall short of global safety standards.

Under Delhi’s 2026 action plan, authorities aim to reduce PM2.5 levels by 15 per cent, PM10 levels by 20 per cent, and improve the city’s annual average Air Quality Index (AQI) by 15 per cent. If achieved, this would bring PM2.5 down to 96 micrograms per cubic metre, PM10 to 177 micrograms per cubic metre, and AQI to 177. Unlike earlier broad-brush approaches, the new roadmap assigns sector-wise responsibility, identifying transport emissions, construction dust, biomass and waste burning, industrial activity, and small-scale manufacturing as the major contributors to Delhi’s toxic air.

A central pillar of the strategy is the expansion of air-quality monitoring infrastructure. The government plans to increase the number of Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations across the city, with the aim of reducing data gaps, strengthening enforcement, and holding implementing agencies accountable. Officials argue that better real-time data will allow faster responses to pollution spikes and more targeted interventions during high-risk periods.

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Delhi’s pollution record over the past decade highlights both the scale of the challenge and the fragility of progress. In 2018, PM2.5 stood at 114 micrograms per cubic metre, PM10 at 242, and AQI at 225, placing air quality firmly in the “poor” to “very poor” category. A sharp but temporary improvement was seen in 2020, when COVID-19 lockdowns reduced activity and PM2.5 fell to 94, with AQI improving to 185. However, pollution rebounded as normal life resumed, with PM2.5 climbing back above 100 and AQI hovering around 209 between 2021 and 2024. A more sustained improvement emerged in 2025, when AQI dipped to 191 and PM2.5 dropped to 99, suggesting that policy measures may finally be having a consistent impact.

Financially, the government has signalled stronger intent through increased allocations to CAQM. Budgetary support rose from ₹20 crore in FY22 to ₹13 crore in FY23 before climbing steadily to ₹16 crore in FY24, ₹21 crore in FY25, and a sharper jump to ₹31 crore in FY26. The budget estimate for FY27 stands at ₹35 crore, the highest allocation so far, indicating expanded funding for monitoring, enforcement, and long-term pollution-control initiatives.

Despite this momentum, experts warn that Delhi’s 2026 targets remain far from what is considered safe air globally. The World Health Organisation recommends annual PM2.5 levels of no more than 5 micrograms per cubic metre and PM10 levels of 15, while Delhi’s proposed targets are several times higher. Under US Environmental Protection Agency standards, an AQI of 177 still falls in the “Unhealthy” category, posing risks even to the general population. European Union norms are similarly stringent, underscoring that while Delhi may see relative improvement by 2026, clean and safe air by international benchmarks remains a distant goal.

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