Delhi's air quality has improved this year; Nov 4 AQI best in 7 years: Sirsa

New Delhi, Nov 4 (PTI) The Delhi government on Tuesday claimed that the city's air quality has shown significant improvement this year, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 291 recorded on November 4 -- the best for this date in the last seven years.

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the city's AQI figures for the same date in previous years were 381 in 2024, 415 in 2023, 447 in 2022, 382 in 2021, 343 in 2020 and 407 in 2019.

"The deployment of 390 anti-smog guns, 280 water sprinklers and 76 mechanical sweepers across major roads and pollution hotspots contributed to this improvement. Regular vehicular checks are also being carried out to control tailpipe emissions," Sirsa said.

According to an official statement, civic teams carried out extensive activities in the last 24 hours, including inspection of 258 construction sites, mechanical sweeping of 2,300 km of roads, and 219 checks for illegal dumping.

Authorities issued around 7,580 challans for vehicular pollution, and 91 non-destined trucks were diverted through the peripheral expressways. In addition, 341 complaints received through apps and social media platforms were resolved, it said.

Sirsa said the continuous progress reflected the effectiveness of the government's year-round pollution control strategy.

"This continuous improvement in Delhi's AQI shows that the city's comprehensive and coordinated pollution control plan is delivering results. The government under Chief Minister Rekha Gupta is working tirelessly to make Delhi's air cleaner and healthier," Sirsa said.

Sirsa said while the winter season remains a challenging phase due to weather conditions, stubble burning in neighbouring states, and rising construction activities, he asserted that Delhi's ground-level enforcement teams have shown exceptional dedication.

The Environment Department has directed all agencies to intensify dust mitigation and pollution control efforts across the city, including misting and sprinkling operations, mechanical road cleaning, garbage collection, and checks on construction dust and open burning, it stated.

It said more than 1,200 enforcement teams are deployed on the ground, including 443 for open waste burning, 378 for dust control, and 578 for vehicular pollution. These teams are patrolling wards and industrial areas round the clock to prevent open burning incidents, it said.

Sirsa said the government's Winter Action Plan aims not just at enforcement but also at fostering long-term behavioural change and sustainable infrastructure.

"Our aim is to make this improvement permanent and ensure that Delhi's air continues to get better each year," he said. PTI SHB RHL