204 of 238 Indian cities did not meet air quality standards: CREA

ENVIRONMENT – POLLUTION

7 MARCH 2026

• During the last winter, 204 out of 238 Indian cities recorded average PM2.5 (a chief pollutant) levels above the Indian standard of 40 g/m³, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data analysed by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), a Finland-based independent research group.
• Also, none of the cities analysed met the World Health Organization’s (WHO) PM2.5 standard of 5 g/m³, as per the analysis.
• The analysis was based on Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) data from the CPCB between October 1, 2025 and February 28, 2026.
• Ghaziabad was the most polluted city, recording an average PM2.5 concentration of 172 g/m³, followed by Noida (166 g/m³), and Delhi (163 g/m³).
• As per the analysis, Greater Noida was the fourth most polluted, followed by Bahadurgarh, Dharuhera, Gurugram, Bhiwadi, Charkhi Dadri, and Baghpat.
• Uttar Pradesh and Haryana accounted for four cities each in the top ten most polluted cities, along with Delhi and one city from Rajasthan.
• PM2.5 (particulate matter 2.5) are fine inhalable particles that can get into the lungs and bloodstream and lead to various respiratory and other diseases.
•  “Among India’s megacities, Delhi (163 g/m³), Kolkata (78 g/m³), Mumbai (48 g/m³), and Chennai (44 g/m³) recorded winter 2025-26 average PM2.5 concentrations above the national standard. Bengaluru recorded an average PM2.5 concentration of 39 g/m³, slightly below the NAAQS limit,” CREA said in a statement.
• Chamarajanagar in Karnataka was the cleanest city in India during the last winter, with an average PM2.5 concentration of 19 g/m³.
• The ten cleanest cities included eight cities from Karnataka and one each from Madhya Pradesh and Meghalaya, as per the analysis.