Question 1

How many CPCB monitoring stations does Delhi have?

Accepted Answer

Delhi currently has 39 active CPCB air quality monitoring stations. These stations report hourly PM2.5, PM10, NO₂, SO₂, CO and O₃ readings that feed into the National Air Quality Index. The density of stations varies widely — tier-1 metros like Delhi have 40+ stations while smaller cities may have only one or two. More stations means better resolution of intra-city variation and more reliable averages; fewer stations means the city-level number relies on less spatial information.

Question 2

Which area of Delhi has the worst air quality?

Accepted Answer

Across the long-run CPCB record, the Anand Vihar Delhi DPCC area has been the most polluted neighbourhood in Delhi, averaging AQI 262 with single-day peaks reaching 500. Worst-performing stations are typically near industrial zones, major highways, traffic junctions, or at the receiving end of the prevailing wind. Residents in or near such areas face systematically higher exposures than the city-wide average would suggest and benefit most from investments in indoor air purification and mask discipline on poor-AQI days.

Question 3

How much can AQI vary within Delhi?

Accepted Answer

The gap between Delhi's cleanest station (AQI 178 long-run average) and its most polluted station (AQI 262) is 84 points. On any given day the real-time spread can be even wider — a rainy afternoon may see one station at Good while another near a construction site hits Very Poor. This is why a single "city AQI" number is a simplification: the actual air you breathe depends on your precise location, the time of day, and your activity (indoor vs outdoor, near a road vs in a park).

Question 4

Are residential neighbourhoods cleaner than industrial ones in Delhi?

Accepted Answer

Almost universally, yes. In Indian cities the cleanest stations tend to be in leafy, low-traffic residential neighbourhoods away from industrial boundaries, while the most polluted are concentrated near factory clusters, major arterials, power plants and waste-dump belts. The magnitude of the gap varies: dense mixed-use cities can see 50–150 AQI points between cleanest and worst neighbourhoods. This is a strong argument for city-level land-use planning that buffers residential zones from heavy industry and arterial traffic.

Question 5

Should I use the city average or my nearest station's AQI?

Accepted Answer

Your nearest station's AQI is almost always the more actionable number. The city average is a useful headline for policy and journalism but it hides the neighbourhood-level variation that actually determines your exposure. If you live within a few kilometres of a CPCB station, use that station's reading as your primary guide, especially when deciding about outdoor exercise, school commutes, and window-opening routines. The city average tells you the mood of the city; the station tells you the air you will actually breathe.

Delhi — CPCB Monitoring Stations

How much does neighbourhood matter in Delhi?

Every station on one number line

CPCB stations that map to neighbourhoods

Delhi — all 39 CPCB stations

City-wide category distribution

Disparity summary

What the numbers say

Overview

The data story

Why this pattern

What to do with this

Frequently asked questions

More Delhi analytics