# Nine plants that clean indoor air as Delhi AQI hits 244 2026-10-21T15:07:34+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) shot up to 244 on Wednesday, 21 October, from 179 a day earlier, triggering the imposition of GRAP Stage 1 across Delhi-NCR. Monitoring stations at Jahangirpuri and Pusa have already recorded AQI levels above 300. The article recommends nine houseplants, snake plant, areca palm, money plant, peace lily, spider plant, rubber plant, bamboo palm, aloe vera, and Indian tulsi, citing the 1989 NASA Clean Air Study and other research for their ability to absorb pollutants such as benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene. The plants are described as low-maintenance and suited to Indian homes, with some like aloe vera and tulsi releasing oxygen at night. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The article offers a practical, lifestyle-oriented response to Delhi's deteriorating winter air, but it leaves the scale of the problem unaddressed. Nine houseplants, even if scientifically proven to absorb certain volatile organic compounds, cannot meaningfully reduce the PM2.5 and PM10 loads that drive AQI above 300. No plant can match the filtration capacity of a mechanical air purifier in a sealed room, let alone in a typical Delhi home with leaky windows and doors. The CAQM's GRAP Stage 1 restrictions are the actionable policy response, the plant list is a coping suggestion, not a solution. ## Coverage - economictimes.indiatimes.com Straightforward listicle based on NASA research, no political or ideological slant This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: CAQM, Delhi, indoor plants, NASA Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/nine-plants-that-clean-indoor-air-as-delhi-aqi-hits-244/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/nine-plants-that-clean-indoor-air-as-delhi-aqi-hits-244/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/