Delhi Records its Cleanest July Air in Seven Years Thanks to Monsoonal Deluge

In July 2025, the air quality in Delhi reflected the city’s cleanest July air since 2018. The air quality index (AQI) stood at 78, which is in the ‘Satisfactory’ range. This gets a significant milestone in the city’s struggle against air pollution. This even surpasses the air quality recorded during the COVID 19 lockdown in 2020.Best July AQI in years: Data behind the progressThe average July 2025 AQI in 78 which predicts a steady growth. This further is better than even 2020 lockdown year. To put things in perspective, earlier July months recorded the AQI as 104 (2018), 134 (2019), 84 (2020), 110 (2022), 87 (2022), 84 (2023) and 96 (2024).In addition, July 2025 recorded the highest number of ‘Satisfactory’ air days in July for any year, 29 days comparing 16 in 2018 and only 12 in 2019. This is even above the years 2020 and 2022 which recorded 25 satisfactory days, surpassing the value.January to July 2025: No Severe Pollution: Improvement in Particulate Matter From January to July 2025, the average AQI in Delhi was 184, which is an improvement compared to 204 in 2024, 183 in 2023, 209 in 2022, and 205 in 2021. More importantly, there were no “Severe” or “Severe+” days which is days with an AQI over 400. This contrasts the trend of the past few years where there were up to 7 such days before August. Delhi’s air also witnessed a reduction in PM2.5 and PM10 during the same time period. The running average for PM2.5 was 79 µg/m³, which is the best performance since 2018 apart from the 2020 anomaly, while PM10 was at an average of 180 µg/m³. What led to the improvement? This is a result of advantageous bottom-up Delhi weather during July including good and evenly distributed rainfall, and an integrated “all hands on deck” approach in Delhi. Advisors and decision makers also cite “Delhi’s multi-agency implementation model, continuous landfill action, intensified street sweeping, and a clear commitment to outcome-based governance” as key reasons.The CAQM and the Delhi government have also been active, undertaking initiatives like testing outdoor air purifiers in public places including Nehru Park with the intention of establishing localized “clean air zones” in heavily trafficked areas.