In keeping with an air high quality evaluation by the Middle for Power and Clear Air Analysis (CREA), Ghaziabad was essentially the most polluted metropolis in India through the 2025-26 winter season, adopted by Noida and Delhi.
Not less than 204 of India’s 238 cities with enough monitoring knowledge have common winter PM2.5 concentrations above India’s Nationwide Air High quality Requirements (NAAQS), a rise from 173 cities final 12 months, in line with a CREA evaluation.
The evaluation is predicated on Steady Ambient Air High quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS) knowledge from the Central Air pollution Management Board (CPCB) from October 1, 2025 to February 28, 2026.
“Ghaziabad was ranked essentially the most polluted metropolis in India within the winter of 2025-2026, recording a median PM2.5 focus of 172 μg/m3. Noida was ranked the second most polluted metropolis with a median focus of 166 μg/m3. Delhi was ranked third, recording a median PM2.5 focus of 163 μg/m3.
CREA’s evaluation says, “Throughout the winter interval of 2025-26, Delhi had 18 ‘extreme’ days, 87 ‘very unhealthy’ days, 24 ‘unhealthy’ days, 15 ‘average’ days, six ‘passable’ days and just one ‘good’ day.”
Better Noida, Bahadurgarh, Dharuhera, Gurgaon, Bhiwadi, Charkhi Dadri and Baghpat full the listing of 10 most polluted cities, with Better Noida at 4th place and Baghpat at tenth place. Uttar Pradesh and Haryana every had 4 cities within the high 10 most polluted cities, whereas Delhi and Rajasthan every had one metropolis.
On the state stage, Haryana recorded the very best variety of cities exceeding PM2.5 NAAQS throughout all monitored places, with 24 cities violating the norms. Andhra Pradesh (9 cities), Punjab (8 cities), West Bengal (7 cities) and Gujarat (6 cities) additionally recorded excesses in all monitored cities.
Rajasthan (33 out of 34 cities), Maharashtra (30 out of 31 cities), Bihar (23 out of 24 cities), Uttar Pradesh (17 out of 20 cities), Odisha (13 out of 14 cities) and Madhya Pradesh (11 out of 13 cities) additionally recorded a excessive proportion of cities exceeding the nationwide requirements.
Chamarajanagar in Karnataka was India’s cleanest metropolis in winter 2025-2026 with a median PM2.5 focus of 19 μg/m3. The ten cleanest cities included eight from Karnataka and one every from Madhya Pradesh and Meghalaya.
“A comparability of the previous two winters reveals that widespread non-compliance continues, with extra cities in breach of nationwide requirements within the winter of 2025-26 than within the earlier winter.
“Whereas the Fee for Air High quality Administration (CAQM) has set PM2.5 discount targets for the NCR area, there’s a want for the same nationwide PM2.5 discount goal, with emphasis on controlling gaseous pollution similar to sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and unstable natural compounds (VOCs), which contribute to the manufacturing of secondary PM2.5 and ozone (O3), a significant part of particulate air pollution,” stated Manoj Kumar of India. Analyst at CREA.
The 2025-2026 winter air high quality additionally confirmed widespread excesses amongst cities coated by the Nationwide Clear Air Program (NCAP). Of the 96 NCAP cities with sufficient knowledge, 84 cities recorded common PM2.5 concentrations above India’s NAAQS and all 96 cities exceeded the World Well being Group (WHO) tips.
An identical sample was noticed in non-NCAP cities, with 120 of the 142 cities analyzed recording PM2.5 concentrations above India’s nationwide requirements, and all 142 cities exceeding WHO tips.
Within the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP), 79 cities recorded enough monitoring knowledge for the winter of 2025-2026. Of those, 75 instances exceeded the nationwide PM2.5 normal, and solely 4 instances remained inside the usual. Within the Nationwide Capital Area (NCR), 28 out of 29 cities monitored recorded enough knowledge protection. Not one of the 28 cities met nationwide requirements.
issued – March 6, 2026 6:51 PM IST
