NCR Cities Lead India's Pollution Crisis in January, Air Quality Remains Critical
Four major cities in the National Capital Region (NCR) dominated India's pollution rankings throughout January, as fine particulate matter (PM2.5) consistently lingered in the 'very poor' to 'severe' categories on most days. Residents across these urban centers were forced to breathe air that approached ten times dirtier than the safer limit established by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
CREA Report Highlights Severe Air Quality Degradation
A comprehensive monthly analysis report released by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) identified Ghaziabad, Delhi, Noida, and Gurgaon among the country's most polluted cities for the month. This finding underscores how winter smog persisted stubbornly across the entire NCR region, creating a prolonged public health hazard.
Gurgaon secured the fourth position nationally for pollution severity. In this city, PM2.5 levels remained classified as 'very poor' to 'severe' on 25 out of 31 days in January. The monthly mean concentration reached a alarming 163 µg/m³. This figure is nearly three times higher than India's daily National Ambient Air Quality Standard of 60 µg/m³ and approximately ten times the WHO's recommended guideline of 15 µg/m³.
Detailed daily data revealed three days categorized as 'severe,' 22 days as 'very poor,' four days as 'poor,' and merely two days as 'moderate.' Notably, there were zero days with 'satisfactory' or 'good' air quality throughout the entire month of January in Gurgaon.
Ghaziabad and Delhi Record Highest Pollution Levels
Ghaziabad emerged as the most polluted city in India, recording a monthly PM2.5 average of 184 µg/m³. Delhi followed closely behind with an average of 169 µg/m³. The persistence of dangerously high pollution levels was starkly evident. Ghaziabad appeared on the daily list of the top ten most polluted cities on 28 days, Delhi on 27 days, Gurgaon on 25 days, and Noida on 24 days.
Widespread Pollution Across Haryana's Monitored Locations
Within the state of Haryana, Gurgaon stood as the most polluted monitored location. It was followed by Dharuhera (150 µg/m³), Narnaul (126 µg/m³), Charkhi Dadri (121 µg/m³), and Manesar (112 µg/m³). Numerous other districts also registered high monthly averages, including Faridabad (98 µg/m³), Panipat (93 µg/m³), Bhiwani (88 µg/m³), Bahadurgarh (85 µg/m³), Jind (82 µg/m³), Karnal (79 µg/m³), Kurukshetra (78 µg/m³), Rohtak (76 µg/m³), Yamunanagar (75 µg/m³), and Panchkula (75 µg/m³).
Even locations lower on the state's pollution list breached national standards. These included Sonipat (70 µg/m³), Mandikhera (69 µg/m³), Kaithal (65 µg/m³), and Sirsa (56 µg/m³). Overall, a concerning 19 out of Haryana's 25 monitored locations exceeded the national air quality limit in January.
National Perspective: Pollution Not Confined to NCR
Across India, CREA reported that 53 different cities featured on the daily top ten most polluted list at least once during the month. This signals that winter pollution was a widespread issue, not confined solely to the NCR region. Among major metropolitan areas, Delhi and Kolkata exceeded national limits, while Chennai, Mumbai, and Bengaluru managed to stay below the standard. Damoh in Madhya Pradesh was identified as the cleanest city in January, with a monthly PM2.5 average of just 17 µg/m³.
Expert Calls for Stronger Air Quality Strategy
Manoj Kumar, India Analyst at CREA, emphasized that the upcoming revision of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) presents a critical opportunity to strengthen India's air quality strategy. He stated, "This revision must focus on prioritising PM2.5 and its precursor gases (SO2 and NO2) over PM10, revising the list of non-attainment cities, setting stricter emission standards for industries and power plants, and adopting an airshed-based approach to address air pollution at a regional scale." This call to action highlights the need for comprehensive, science-based policies to tackle the escalating air quality crisis.
