Delhi Sees Unusual AQI Surge In May; AAP Blames BJP, Environment Minister Responds
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A dust storm triggered by gusty winds sweeping through Delhi pushed the AQI above 300 in several areas on Thursday. The storm also led to reduced visibility across the city
The Air Quality Index (AQI) in parts of Delhi on Thursday crossed 300 due to a severe dust storm that also affected the city's visibility. The opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) questioned the BJP, which had termed the incident an 'extreme weather event".
The AQI in several parts of Delhi was above 300 at noon on Thursday, with the highest at Punjabi Bagh (379), followed by Sirifort (369). Jahangirpuri (344), DTU (343), Mathura Road (326), and Alipur (324) were also among the areas with AQI above 300, according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR).
Lodhi Road (316), Shadipur (313), RK Puram (304), Mundka (304), NSIT Dwarka (304), and Narela (301) were also affected.
It is important to note that, as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD) bulletin, Delhi is among the parts of the country expected to witness strong dust-raising winds (25–35 kmph) on Friday and Saturday.
This was also the reason for the AQI drop on Thursday. According to the IMD, the dust storm was triggered by gusty winds sweeping through the region. The storm also impacted visibility.
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal posted on X, saying air pollution was never this bad during the AAP regime at this time of year. It is worth noting that air quality in Delhi is usually very poor and severe during the winter months.
Atishi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, also posted on the social media platform, stating that the AQI in the city had never been so high in May.
'CPCB's own data shows that from 2022-2024, AQI on May 15 never exceeded 243. Today AQI is at 500. Will BJP take responsibility for the worsening air pollution in Delhi? Where is Delhi's Environment Minister @mssirsa?" she posted on X.
Responding to her, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the situation was due to an 'extreme weather event, not misgovernance".
'It's unfortunate that a former CM is using a natural sandstorm to score political points; especially when the real blame lies in a decade of neglect under AAP. Today's AQI spike is due to an extreme weather event, not misgovernance," he explained.
FIRST YOU BECAME AAP-DA FOR DELHI NOW YOU ARE TRYING TO FIND AVSAR IN AAPDAIt's unfortunate that a former CM is using a natural sandstorm to score political points; especially when the real blame lies in a decade of neglect under AAP.
Today's AQI spike is due to an extreme… https://t.co/bXGC0DyO3P
— Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) May 15, 2025
The situation raised questions, as the month of May usually witnesses moderate to poor air quality days.
According to SAFAR, the average AQI of Delhi was between 400 and 500 — categorised as 'Severe'. The agency uses a dark red colour to indicate the average AQI instead of specific numbers. On Wednesday, SAFAR had said that air quality was likely to be in the 'Moderate' category between May 15 and 17 in Delhi, though it could slip to 'Poor' during the following week.
As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the AQI was in the 'Poor' category (AQI 236) at 8 am. On Wednesday afternoon, Delhi's AQI was at 135 — in the 'Moderate' category, according to CPCB.
The AQI classifies air quality as follows: Good (0–50), Satisfactory (51–100), Moderate (101–200), Poor (201–300), Very Poor (301–400), and Severe (401–500).
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