Delhi-NCR air turns poor in heatwave as PM10 dust drives pollution

Key points

• The temperature in Delhi NCR is hovering around 45 degrees Celsius, but even so, the authorities recognise that pollution is here.
• The Commission for Air Quality Management imposed stage 1 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) measures in Delhi NCR on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, as the air quality dipped to “poor” category, and was forecast to remain that way for the next few days.
• Read Full Story According to the Central Pollution Control Board, AQI in Delhi on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, was 208, while in Noida it was 233, 247 in Ghaziabad, 312 in Greater Noida, and slightly better in Gurugram, at 178. But the recurring theme across these areas was the prominent pollutant.
• Not PM2.5, but PM10 (except in Gurugram, where both were equally prominent).
• Pollution used to be a winter conversation in the national capital region.