Overview
- Air quality deteriorated on February 28 with Rohini at an AQI of 372 and multiple Delhi stations above 300, after a brief citywide improvement to the moderate band a day earlier.
- CPCB readings on Saturday placed the capital’s overall air in the poor category around morning hours, with hotspots including Anand Vihar (332) and Dwarka Sector-8 (303).
- Analyses show February 2026 was Delhi’s most polluted February in three years, with an average AQI around 232–234 and 20 poor days plus two very poor days recorded.
- Delhi also logged its warmest February in three years as Safdarjung hit 31.9°C on Friday, and the IMD projects temperatures 3–5°C above normal next week with elevated heatwave risk into March–May.
- Authorities expanded monitoring with six new CAAQMS stations for a total of 46 and advanced dust-control frameworks, while Mumbai saw broad improvement to good or satisfactory air even as select pockets spiked to unhealthy or severe levels.