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

During last winter, 204 out of 238 Indian cities recorded average PM2.5 (key pollutant) levels above the Indian standard of 40 g/m³, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data analyzed by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).

According to CREA, an independent research group based in Finland, Ghaziabad was the most polluted city with an average PM2.5 concentration of 172 g/m³, followed by Noida (166 g/m³) and Delhi (163 g/m³).

According to the analysis, Greater Noida was the fourth most polluted district, followed by Bahadurgarh, Dharuhera, Gurugram, Bhiwadi, Charkhi Dadri and Baghpat. Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, along with one city from Delhi and Rajasthan, accounted for four cities among the ten most polluted cities.

PM2.5 (particulate matter 2.5) are fine inhalable particles that can enter the lungs and bloodstream and cause a variety of respiratory diseases and other illnesses.

The analysis was based on Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) data from CPCB between October 1, 2025 and February 28, 2026.

Additionally, according to the analysis, none of the analyzed cities met the World Health Organization (WHO) PM2.5 standard of 5 g/m³.

“Among India’s megacities, Delhi (163 g/m³), Kolkata (78 g/m³), Mumbai (48 g/m³) and Chennai (44 g/m³) recorded average PM2.5 concentrations above the national standard in winter 2025-26. Bengaluru recorded average PM2.5 concentration of 39 g/m³, slightly below the NAAQS limit,” CREA said in a statement.

the cleanest city

Chamarajanagar in Karnataka was India’s cleanest city during last winter, with an average PM2.5 concentration of 19 g/m³. According to the analysis, the ten cleanest cities included eight cities from Karnataka and one city each from Madhya Pradesh and Meghalaya.