Air pollution is nothing new in Delhi-NCR, but a dense haze and lowered visibility during mid-May took locals by surprise. On May 15, people woke up to a veil of dust covering the sky, which resulted in poor air quality and restricted visibility. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) explained this sudden occurrence as overnight winds carrying dust.
IMD Explains Dust-Driven Haze
As per IMD, gusty winds between 30 and 40 kmph blew over Delhi-NCR on Wednesday evening as a system of clouds passed over the area. These winds picked up fine dust particles from the surface into the lower atmosphere, significantly impairing visibility. PTI said visibility at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport plunged sharply from 4,500 meters to 1,200 meters between 10 pm and 11:30 pm.
Although wind speeds slowed to between 3 and 7 kmph later, they were not strong enough to disperse the dust, which worsened the air quality. Visibility across Safdarjung and Palam airports remained between 1,200 and 1,500 meters. However, as dawn approached, a 10 kmph westerly breeze helped improve conditions slightly, pushing visibility at Palam up to 1,500 meters, as reported by The Indian Express.
Air pollution was never this bad during AAP regime at this time of the year. https://t.co/k6aBdmngGt
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 15, 2025
Pakistani Dust Behind Delhi’s Dirty Air?
IMD said the unexpected dust storm had its roots in North Pakistan. Dust particles with ‘strong lower-level westerly winds’ from Punjab and Haryana moved into Delhi-NCR, causing air quality to plummet sharply. The Air Quality Index (AQI) plummeted into the ‘poor’ level on May 15, following weeks of staying within the ‘moderate’ band. The AQI was registered at 135 in Delhi previously in the day before the dust inflow moved eastward, finally restoring visibility. Visibility at Palam had improved to 4,000 meters, IMD reported, after the dust started settling.
Political Blame Game On Spiking AQI
The dramatic drop in Delhi’s air quality prompted a war of words between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also responded on social media, arguing that pollution “was never this bad” during his tenure at this time of the year. Following him, AAP leader Atishi Marlena also stated, “AQI in Delhi had never been this high in May.” She referred to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data to say that from 2022 through 2024, AQI on May 15 never went beyond 243.
