Delhi Air Pollution: CAQM revokes Stage III restrictions across Delhi-NCR, has AQI improved? what are forecasts from IMD and IITM?
The Sub-Committee on the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) revoked all Stage III actions across Delhi-NCR with immediate effect on 22.01.2026, in view of the improvement in air quality and forecast trends.
The Sub-Committee had invoked Stage III of GRAP on 16.01.2026, following a deterioration in Delhi’s average AQI. Subsequently, Delhi’s air quality showed a downward trend.
As per the daily AQI Bulletin provided by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the average AQI improved from 378 on 20.01.2026 to 330 on 21.01.2026 and 322 on 22.01.2026.
In view of this improving trend and based on air quality and meteorological forecasts from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), the CAQM Sub-Committee met on Thursday to review the situation.
The Sub-Committee observed that the AQI of Delhi has been improving owing to favourable meteorological conditions and recorded as 322 today i.e. 22.01.2026.
AQI is likely to remain in the "moderate" to "poor" category
Forecast by IMD/ IITM indicates that AQI is likely to remain in the "moderate" to "poor" category in coming days. Therefore, keeping in view the disruptive nature of restrictions under Stage-III of extant GRAP impacting a large number of stakeholders and public, the CAQM Sub-Committee on GRAP unanimously decided to revoke all actions under Stage-III of the extant schedule of GRAP in the entire NCR, with immediate effect.
Further, all actions under Stages II & I of the extant schedule of GRAP (November 2025) shall, however remain invoked and be implemented, monitored and reviewed by all agencies concerned in the entire NCR to ensure that the AQI levels do not rise further in the coming days.