About 44 percent of India’s cities are affected by chronic air pollution, indicating that the problem is the result of persistent emissions from emissions sources rather than short-term events. This information has been given in the recent analysis report of Energy and Clean Air Research Center (CREA).

The report says that out of about 44 percent cities that have been facing air pollution for a long time, only four percent come under the purview of the National Clean Air Program (NCAP). CREA assessed the level of PM 2.5 particles in 4,041 cities of India with the help of satellite data.

According to this, ‘at least 1,787 of these 4,041 cities have recorded levels of PM2.5 particles exceeding the national annual standard in every year of the recent five years (2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024), excluding the Covid-19-affected year 2020.

This means that about 44 percent of Indian cities are experiencing chronic air pollution, indicating that the problem is the result of persistent emissions from emissions sources rather than short-term events.

The report termed Burnihat (Assam), Delhi and Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) as the three most polluted cities of India based on the estimation of the level of PM2.5 particles in the year 2025, where the annual concentrations were recorded at 100 micrograms per cubic meter, 96 micrograms per cubic meter and 93 micrograms per cubic meter respectively.

Noida-Ghaziabad on which number?

According to this, in the list of most polluted cities, Noida is fourth, Gurugram fifth, Greater Noida sixth, Bhiwadi seventh, Hajipur eighth, Muzaffarnagar ninth and Hapur tenth.

The report said, ‘Despite this, India’s flagship NCAP scheme to curb air pollution covers only four percent of the cities that have been struggling with this problem for a long time. Only 130 cities have been included under NCAP and out of these, only 67 cities are included in the 1,787 cities, which have been failing for many years to meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) set by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Are.’

More than 400 cities of UP violated the rules

It has been said in the report that among the cities which continuously violate the NAAQS standards, the maximum number of 416 cities are from Uttar Pradesh. It said that 158 ​​cities of Rajasthan, 152 of Gujarat, 143 of Madhya Pradesh, 136 of Punjab, 136 of Bihar and 124 cities of West Bengal have failed to meet the NAAQS standards.

According to the report, 28 out of 130 cities included in NCAP still do not have comprehensive air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS), while 100 out of 102 cities equipped with CAAQMS have recorded PM10 levels of 80% or more.

It says, ‘Progress on curbing PM10 emissions has been mixed. 23 cities have achieved the revised 40% target of reduction in PM10 levels, 28 cities have recorded a reduction of 21-40 per cent, 26 cities have seen a marginal improvement of 1-20 per cent, while in 23 cities PM10 levels have actually increased since the start of the programme.’

Delhi on top on PM 10 emissions

The report said, ‘Delhi tops the list in terms of PM10 particles, where the annual average level has been recorded at 197 micrograms per cubic metre, which is three times the national standard. Ghaziabad and Greater Noida are at second and third position in this matter, where the annual average level of PM10 particles was 190 and 188 micrograms per cubic meter respectively.

It said that among the top 50 cities with highest PM10 concentrations, Rajasthan has the highest number of 18 cities, followed by Uttar Pradesh (10), Madhya Pradesh (5), Bihar (4) and Odisha (4).

The situation in Delhi is bad due to pollution. The situation is such that even breathing becomes difficult here. AQI in the capital has reached its worst level in the last seven years in the month of December. This year, December was the worst since 2018 with an average AQI of 349, while the contribution of stubble in PM 2.5 pollution was only 3.5 percent.

An official said that in December 2018, the average air quality index (AQI) of the capital was recorded at 360. According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, the average AQI was 294 in December 2024, 348 in 2023, 319 in 2022, 336 in 2021, 332 in 2020, 337 in 2019 and 301 in 2015.

AQI remained in severe category for 5 days

This month, air quality in Delhi was recorded in ‘severe’ category for five days. There was such a situation in Delhi for six days in December last year. On Monday too, Delhi’s air quality reached ‘severe’ category with 401 at 4 pm, while on Sunday it was recorded in ‘very poor’ category with 390.

Increase in pollution due to stubble?

According to information provided by CPCB in response to an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) by environmentalist Amit Gupta, the contribution of stubble to Delhi’s PM 2.5 pollution was only 3.5 per cent till December 5 this year, while Delhi-NCR remains one of the most polluted regions in the country.

The CPCB said it relied on the 2018 TERI-ARAI source apportionment study to assess the contribution of different sources to PM2.5 and PM10 pollution in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR). She said no comprehensive source apportionment study has been conducted since then.

There has been a decline in stubble burning in the last few years

However, daily average data from the Decision Support System (DSS) of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, shows that the contribution of stubble burning to PM 2.5 levels during the October-December period has declined steadily over the last few years.

The share of stubble burning was 13 percent in 2020 and 2021, declined to 9 percent in 2022, increased marginally to 11 percent in 2023 and 10.6 percent in 2024, after which it declined to 3.5 percent in 2025.

Delhi Government Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has apologized to the public regarding the increasing air pollution and falling Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi, on which Congress MP Priyanka Vadra has now taken a dig. Priyanka Gandhi has said that what is the benefit of apologizing on behalf of Delhi government. They should get their work done and we all together should find some solution for this, but there is no discussion on this here.

Actually, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa in Delhi Government held a press conference on Tuesday (December 16, 2025). In this, Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa apologized to the people of Delhi regarding the increasing air pollution and decreasing AQI in Delhi. He said that our government in Delhi is fully engaged in improving the average AQI every month. While apologizing to the people of Delhi, I just want to say that it is absolutely impossible for any government to clean up all the pollution in 9 to 10 months, but I want to tell you, the people of Delhi, that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has been dishonest and deceitful, we have improved it and reduced the AQI and if we keep reducing it in the same manner, then only it will be possible to provide clean air to Delhi.

Targeted at Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi

During this, Delhi Government Cabinet Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa targeted Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, citing the previous governments of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress. He said, ‘These diseases in Delhi were caused by the Aam Aadmi Party for the last 10-11 years and the Congress government for the first 15 years.’

Delhi: Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa says, “…I want to apologize to the people of Delhi and say that it is impossible for any government to completely eliminate pollution in just nine-ten months. However, I want to assure Delhi residents that we have worked tirelessly to… pic.twitter.com/xYiY6zAJDQ

— IANS (@ians_india) December 16, 2025

He said, ‘Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are currently talking about wearing masks, so I want to ask them where were these masks of yours last year, when there was more pollution in Delhi.’ He further said, ‘Last year there were dirtier days than this. Last year, even on this day, AQI was 380, but neither Rahul Gandhi nor Priyanka Gandhi was seen anywhere, because these people were associated with Aam Aadmi Party at that time and today they have remembered everything.

We are taking action every day like a doctor- Manjinder Singh Sirsa

Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, ‘Of course there is pollution in Delhi, it is harming the health of children, but this is given by the Aam Aadmi Party, which we are trying to fix.’ He said that like a doctor, we are taking action against him every day, but Aam Aadmi Party has given the task of making people sick.

Also read: ‘Modi ji definitely hates two things’, Rahul Gandhi took a dig at changing the name of MNREGA.

In view of the serious problem of pollution in Delhi, an important decision has been taken regarding outdoor physical sports activities. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has directed the state governments of Delhi and NCR to immediately stop all outdoor physical sports activities. Also warned that continuing such events amidst poor air quality can pose a serious threat to the health of children.

CAQM has written a letter to the Chief Secretaries of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh on Saturday (December 13), saying that it is concerned that despite the instructions given earlier as per the Supreme Court order of November 19, some schools and institutions of Delhi-NCR are still conducting outdoor sports activities.

Instructions to create awareness about health risks

“Continuing outdoor physical activities during poor air quality is against the spirit and intent of the Supreme Court’s observations and the Commission’s directions,” CAQM said. In the letter, the commission asked to postpone the physical sports competitions to be held in November and December. It directed the NCR state governments and the Delhi government to ensure strict and immediate compliance of the earlier instructions, issue necessary instructions to all schools, educational institutions, sports bodies and local authorities to close outdoor physical sports activities and sensitize schools and parents about the health risks involved.

Instructions to closely monitor and take appropriate action

CAQM also asked the authorities to closely monitor compliance at the field level and take appropriate action in case of any violations. On Saturday, the panel took the strictest action under its air pollution control plan, GRAP, which includes banning all construction and demolition activities in Delhi-NCR following a sharp rise in pollution levels amid extreme weather conditions.

What are the restrictions under GRAP Stage IV?

Under Stage IV of GRAP, entry of trucks in Delhi has been stopped, except those carrying essential goods or providing essential services. However, movement of CNG, LNG, electric and BS-VI diesel trucks has been allowed. There is a ban on plying of registered diesel heavy goods vehicles (BS-IV and below) in Delhi, with exemption again only for essential services.

Ban on construction and demolition activities also

All construction and demolition activities are banned, including public projects like highways, roads, flyovers, power transmission lines, pipelines and telecom, which are usually allowed in the lower stages. Schools in Delhi and the worst-affected NCR districts have been asked to run classes not only for primary students but also for higher classes (VI to IX and XI) in hybrid mode (online and physical), with students given the option to attend online classes wherever possible.

Under Stage IV, state governments have been asked to consider taking additional emergency measures such as closing colleges and educational institutions, shutting down non-essential commercial activities and even imposing odd-even rules for vehicles if the pollution situation worsens.

Restrictions under GRAP apply in Delhi in winter

It is noteworthy that during winter, restrictions are imposed in the Delhi-NCR region under GRAP, which divides the air quality into four stages – Stage I (poor, AQI 201-300), Stage II (very poor, AQI 301-400), Stage III (severe, AQI 401-450), and Stage IV (very severe, AQI above 450). In winter, due to bad weather conditions, smoke from vehicles, stubble burning, firecrackers and other local sources of pollution, the air quality in Delhi-NCR reaches dangerous levels.

The pollution level in Delhi remained in the ‘very poor’ category on Sunday (7 December). The 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) of the capital was recorded at 308. According to the ‘Sameer’ app of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), till evening the air quality at 29 monitoring stations in the city was recorded in the ‘very poor’ category and among these, Bawana had the highest AQI (336).

Which sector contributes how much to pollution?

According to the Decision Support System (DSS) for Delhi’s air quality management, the transport sector contributed 16.5 percent to pollution. After this, industrial areas in Delhi and surrounding areas contributed 8.1 percent, residential sources contributed four percent and construction activities contributed 2.3 percent. Among the neighboring districts of NCR, Jhajjar contributed 13.9 percent, Rohtak 5.2 percent, Sonipat 6 percent and Jind 2.5 percent.

Considerable fluctuation in AQI in Delhi

A lot of fluctuations were seen in the air quality of Delhi this week. AQI was 279 on Sunday, 304 on Monday, 372 on Tuesday, 342 on Wednesday, 304 on Thursday and 327 on Friday. The air was recorded in ‘very poor’ category all day. India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that the maximum temperature on Sunday was 24.7 degrees Celsius, which is 0.1 degrees below normal, while the minimum temperature was recorded at 8 degrees Celsius, which is 1.6 degrees below normal.

The relative humidity was 71 percent in the evening and 92 percent in the morning. For Monday (08 December), the Meteorological Department has predicted the minimum temperature to be 10 degrees Celsius and the maximum to be 25 degrees Celsius.

According to the app, the AQI in Delhi at 10 am on Sunday was 302 and 26 stations recorded air quality in the ‘very poor’ category. According to CPCB, AQI is considered in the category of 0-50 ‘good’, 51-100 ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 ‘moderate’, 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 ‘very poor’ and 401-500 ‘severe’.

The politics of the capital has become heated due to the worsening air quality of Delhi, increasing number of patients and dust spread on the roads. Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee President Devendra Yadav made a scathing attack on the government and said that an attempt is being made to hide its failure in the name of Metro, while the real responsible departments have not yet received concrete instructions.

Government accused of negligence regarding metro construction

Congress President Devendra Yadav claimed that the share of metro construction in the pollution reaching dangerous levels in the capital is higher than before and this is the result of the negligence of the governments. He says that during the Congress rule, the cleaning of soil and debris from metro construction was done overnight. Road washing and immediate debris removal were common procedures to control dust. He said that now when the construction work has reduced and most of it is underground, it is ridiculous for Chief Minister Rekha Gupta to issue strict instructions for cleaning the metro.

No metro, government under question on pollution

Devendra Yadav alleged that when there is already a warning that the air will remain very bad for the next 10 days, then the Delhi government is blaming the failure on the Metro. He says that the responsibility of controlling pollution lies with departments like PWD, Municipal Corporation, DDA, to which no clear instructions have been issued till now. He suggested that if the Delhi government also adopts modern technology on the lines of Metro to dispose of dust, garbage and debris, then pollution can be reduced to a great extent.

Ring Road campaign is just a show

Taking a jibe at Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the Congress leader said that after ten months, he now remembered that metro construction also contributes to pollution. He termed the announcement of making 55 kilometer ring road dust-free as a deception on the public. Yadav said that the cleanliness campaign that ran from July to October could not reduce the dirtiness of Delhi, hence now the washing of Ring Road and water sprinkler is just an attempt to avoid criticism from the opposition.

Concern over increasing patients amid air pollution

Devendra Yadav warned the Chief Minister that due to increasing pollution the number of patients in hospitals is increasing daily. He suggested that the Delhi government should immediately issue an advisory to hospitals. According to him, people in the capital are suffering from problems like difficulty in breathing, lung problems, heart disease, increased risk of stroke and irritation in eyes, nose and throat. Complaints of pain in bones have also increased.

‘Zero enforcement on ground’ despite implementation of GREP

The Congress President said that even after implementing GRAP, DPCC and State Environment Department have completely failed to implement it. He alleged that till date the Delhi government has not issued any clear SOP for all the concerned agencies including MCD, PWD, NDMC, Delhi Cantonment Board, DDMRC, DDA. According to Yadav, at present there is no concrete system for dust and debris disposal, due to which both the air and the people of Delhi are bearing the brunt.

The condition of pollution in Delhi is not hidden from anyone. Many times the situation becomes such that even breathing becomes difficult. But in the month of November, not Delhi but Ghaziabad of Uttar Pradesh was the most polluted city in the country. This shocking claim has been made in a report.

The monthly average PM 2.5 concentration in Ghaziabad in November was 224 micrograms per cubic meter and the air quality remained above national standards for all 30 days. In fact, the report of think tank ‘Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air’ states that Noida, Bahadurgarh, Delhi, Hapur, Greater Noida, Baghpat, Sonipat, Meerut and Rohtak were included in the 10 most polluted cities along with Ghaziabad.

According to the report, six of these cities were from Uttar Pradesh. After that there were three places of Haryana and Delhi. Except Delhi, all other cities included in the top 10 recorded higher PM 2.5 levels compared to last year.

Delhi stood fourth

Delhi was the fourth most polluted city in November, with the monthly average PM 2.5 concentration at 215 micrograms per cubic metre, almost double the October average of 107. The city experienced 23 very bad days, six severe days and one poor day.

CREA said that the impact of stubble burning was less this year, its share in Delhi’s pollution in November was on average 7 percent, whereas last year it was 20 percent. CREA said that this year the maximum effect of stubble burning was 22 percent, which is much less than the 38 percent recorded last year.

The wind was not good as per the standards even for a day

Barring Bahadurgarh, the air in none of these 10 cities remained within the safe daily limits under national standards for even a single day. Many other cities including Charkhi Dadri, Bulandshahr, Jind, Muzaffarnagar, Gurugram, Khurja, Bhiwani, Karnal, Yamunanagar and Faridabad also recorded PM 2.5 levels above the limit every day.

Pollution increased compared to last year

CREA analyst Manoj Kumar said, “Despite a significant reduction in the impact of stubble burning, 20 out of 29 cities in NCR recorded higher pollution levels than last year and in many cities not a single day was still recorded within the NAAQS limits. This clearly indicates that the major drivers are year-round sources such as transportation, industry, power plants and other combustion sources. “Without sector-specific emissions reductions, cities will continue to violate the standards.”

More pollution in 23 cities of Rajasthan

At the state level, Rajasthan had the highest number of polluted cities, with pollution levels exceeding the national limit in 23 out of 34 cities in November. Haryana had 22 out of 25 cities where pollution levels were above the national standard, while 14 out of 20 cities in Uttar Pradesh, 9 out of 12 cities in Madhya Pradesh, 9 out of 14 cities in Odisha and 7 out of 8 cities in Punjab also reported high levels.

Why People Are Leaving Delhi: The air in Delhi is very bad at this time. On one hand, North India is facing the brunt of cold, while on the other hand, Delhi is also facing the brunt of pollution along with cold. In areas like Anand Vihar, Ghazipur, India Gate and Duty Path, ITO and Akshardham Temple, the blanket of fog dimmed the sunlight a bit. The worsening air quality of Delhi is now forcing people to take difficult decisions. Many families have started leaving the city and settling in cities with clean air like Bengaluru. There are many families who lived their lives in the streets of Delhi but are now forced to leave the streets of Delhi to save their lives.

people leaving delhi

The story is no longer just about one or two families. Last week, a post went viral on social media, in which a professional said that his wife left a prestigious government job to leave Delhi’s polluted air, fearing for the health of their child. This post brought out the frustration and uneasiness buried within the people regarding the unsafe air of Delhi-NCR. The air quality of the city has been stuck in the poor category for the last several weeks. Now pollution is no longer just an issue of weather, but has started affecting people’s lifestyle and future decisions.

Many people move to other places until the winter passes, while some are deciding to leave the city permanently. Many people said while talking to the media, “Maybe I had become accustomed to the air of Delhi, but my parents’ health started deteriorating every winter. After the arrival of the child, it was decided that there was no point in stopping now. Got a job in another city and we took the same house there. There is no reason to come back.” Some people are forced to stay in the city, but life has not been easy. Some people move out of the city during pollution months for work. The rest seek respite by spending a few weeks in hilly areas like Ranikhet, Mussoorie, Chail or Kasauli.

not easy for everyone

However, it is not so easy for everyone to leave the city. As one user wrote on X that not everyone can leave the place. Most of the people are tied to jobs or compulsions. The real need is for efficient administration and strong policies. It’s easy to run away, but difficult to fix the problem.

Also read: Patient Rights in Hospital: These are the rights of the patient undergoing treatment in the hospital, know about your work.

Disclaimer: This information is based on research studies and expert opinion. Do not consider this as a substitute for medical advice. Before adopting any new activity or exercise, please consult your doctor or relevant specialist.

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The air in the country’s capital Delhi has become poisonous. According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, the air quality here remained in ‘very poor’ category on Sunday (November 23) and AQI was recorded at 391.

According to CPCB’s ‘Sameer’ app, air quality in 19 monitoring centers in Delhi was recorded in the ‘severe’ category, while the remaining 19 centers recorded an AQI of 300, which falls in the ‘very poor’ category. According to the air quality bulletin for Delhi, the air quality of Delhi may remain in the ‘very poor’ category from Monday (24 November) to Wednesday (26 November).

burning sensation in eyes

The continuously increasing standards have also increased the problems of the people. The cases of eye irritation, difficulty in breathing, cough and fever in children and the elderly are increasing rapidly. Doctors have advised people to leave the house less, wear masks and use air purifiers.

Cold increased in the capital

Talking about the weather, the cold has increased in Delhi. According to the India Meteorological Department, the maximum temperature in Delhi was recorded at 26.7 degrees Celsius and the minimum temperature was recorded at 10.4 degrees Celsius, one degree below normal. The humidity level at 5:30 pm was 68 percent. However, it is believed that there may be severe cold from the last days of November and the first week of December.

How will the weather be in Delhi today?

The fog alert issued by the Meteorological Department in Delhi on Monday (24 November) has also increased the concern. Moderate fog is expected here on Monday and the maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to be 25 and 10 degrees Celsius respectively.

Let us tell you that according to CPCB standards, AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 to 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 ‘poor’, 301 to 400 ‘very poor’ and 401 to 500 ‘severe’.