Record2 October 2026Environment
India: average air quality index of 103 on 2 October 2026 is the highest since 26 May 2026.
DeterioratingStrength 2 of 10Detected 3 Oct 2026, 20:51 IST
What happened
- 2 October 2026
- 103
- 2026-05-26
- 109
Values in AQI.
40
60
80
100
120
Why it matters
A record says how long it has been since the series was this high or this low. It puts a single value in the context of the whole published history.
For average air quality index, lower is better. This movement is therefore assessed as a deterioration.
Historical context
128 consecutive earlier days were lower.
The underlying data
The stored observations this signal was computed from. Each opens its release.
| Period | Value | Release | Where in the document |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 October 2026 | 103 | CPCB National Air Quality Index bulletin, 2 October 2026 (252 cities) | AQI bulletin p.1–13, Index Value column: mean of all 252 city rows — every row in the table |
| 26 May 2026 | 109 | CPCB National Air Quality Index bulletin, 26 May 2026 (237 cities) | AQI bulletin p.1–12, Index Value column: mean of all 237 city rows — every row in the table |
Source and method
More signals for average air quality index in India
- India: average air quality index over the 7 days to 2 October 2026 was 80, above the 5-year median of 63 for the same week (+27%).
- India: average air quality index over the 7 days to 26 September 2026 was 77, above the 5-year median of 66 for the same week (+17%).
- India: average air quality index over the 7 days to 21 September 2026 was 71, above the 5-year median of 61 for the same week (+18%).
- India: average air quality index over the 7 days to 10 September 2026 was 68, above the 5-year median of 58 for the same week (+18%).
Cite this
According to the India Health Observatory, India: average air quality index of 103 on 2 October 2026 is the highest since 26 May 2026. Source: Central Pollution Control Board, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, CPCB National Air Quality Index bulletin, 2 October 2026 (252 cities). https://indiahealthobservatory.com/signals/air-quality-index--india--2026-10-02--record
See also India and 103 AQI in context.