New Delhi: Air pollution remained a serious concern across India in January, particularly in the Delhi-NCR region. According to the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), nearly half of the monitored cities recorded PM2.5 levels above national safety standards.
Ghaziabad emerged as the most polluted city, with PM2.5 levels reaching 184 µg/m³—three times the national limit. The report highlighted that the city exceeded daily pollution standards every day throughout January. Following Ghaziabad, Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, and Greater Noida were also among the most polluted cities, with Delhi experiencing 27 days of “very poor” or “severe” air quality during the month.
Top 10 Most Polluted Cities in January
- Ghaziabad
- Delhi
- Noida
- Gurugram
- Greater Noida
- Dharuheda
- Singrauli
- Bhiwadi
- Narnaul
- Gangtok
The report noted that six of these cities are in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Out of 248 cities analyzed, 123 exceeded the national PM2.5 limit, while no city met the World Health Organization’s (WHO) safe air standards. Among 97 cities under the National Clean Air Program (NCAP), 46 violated pollution norms, whereas 77 non-NCAP cities exceeded national limits. All 151 cities failed to meet WHO standards.
Cleanest Cities
Only 21 cities nationwide recorded “good” air quality. Damoh in Madhya Pradesh was the cleanest city, with an average PM2.5 level of 17 µg/m³. Karnataka contributed five cities to the list of ten cleanest cities. Among major metropolitan areas, Chennai, Mumbai, and Bengaluru remained within national limits, while Delhi and Kolkata exceeded them.
State-Level Compliance
Among states, Rajasthan recorded the poorest compliance, with 23 out of 34 cities exceeding pollution norms, followed by Haryana, Bihar, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh.
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