Budget 2026 cuts pollution control allocation: The timing of the cut is troubling. Delhi-NCR and neighbouring regions continue to record hazardous air quality levels, leading to school closures, health advisories, and increased respiratory illnesses.

A new analysis shows that most of Delhi’s 39 air quality monitoring stations are located in south and central areas, leaving large parts of the city — especially the outskirts — without proper pollution tracking. Experts say this imbalance makes it hard to understand true pollution levels and plan effective action.

A new report shows that Delhi’s air quality monitoring stations are unevenly spread, with most located in the south and central parts of the city. Large peripheral areas remain under-monitored, affecting efforts to track pollution accurately and plan effective responses.

Staggered timings for public offices and municipal bodies in Delhi, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Noida are now part of Stage II.

The proposed changes shift stricter measures to earlier stages, with some stage 4 advisories now applying at stage 3 and stage 3 measures at stage 2.