Delhi records cleanest air quality in three years with AQI of 85
The Hindu
Delhi records cleanest air in three years with AQI of 85, first 'Satisfactory' day of 2025, as per CAQM.
Delhi recorded its cleanest air for any day between January 1 and March 15 in the last three years on Saturday (March 15, 2025), according to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).
The 24-hour average AQI stood at 85 at 4 p.m. on Saturday (March 14, 2025), placing it in the ‘Satisfactory’ category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). This is the first ‘Satisfactory’ air quality day of 2025.
An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘Good,’ 51-100 is ‘Satisfactory,’ 101-200 is ‘Moderate,’ 201-300 is ‘Poor,’ 301-400 is ‘Very Poor,’ and 401-500 is ‘Severe.’
The CAQM also shared on its X account, stating, “Today, Delhi recorded an average AQI of 85, the lowest in the last three years for the period from 1st January to 15th March. Today’s AQI is also the first day of the current year with a ‘Satisfactory’ AQI (AQI 51-100).” It further mentioned that Delhi has witnessed a ‘Satisfactory’ AQI in March for the first time in five years, since 2020.
Meanwhile, the maximum temperature in Delhi on Saturday (March 15, 2025) was 33 degrees Celsius, 4.1 degrees Celsius above the seasonal average, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The minimum temperature was 18.7 degrees Celsius, while humidity levels fluctuated between 62% and 50%.
On Friday (March 14, 2025), Delhi experienced its hottest day of the year so far, with the mercury reaching 36.2 degrees Celsius, 7.3 degrees Celsius above normal, the IMD stated.

The Pongala ritual at the Attukal Bhagavathy temple in Thiruvananthapuram is held every year, redolent of a mythical story of vengeance by a woman, her fight against injustice and her transformation to a goddess. It’s the day when only women are allowed on many streets in the heart of Thiruvananthapuram.