Jahangirpuri, Rohini among most polluted clusters of Delhi: Study
Respirer Living Sciences, a climate technology startup, conducted the month-long study using data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Google AirView+.
Official data from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and CPCB supported these findings, identifying the Jahangirpuri-Bawana-Wazirpur corridor as the city’s most polluted cluster, with average PM2.5 levels ranging from 140-146 g/m³, followed by Anand Vihar and Vivek Vihar (133-135 g/m³).
The analysis found that the city’s pollution peaks were concentrated in the northwestern and eastern corridors, with industrial and residential clusters coexisting in the same smog sheds.
“Delhi’s pollution story is no longer just about the city centre. Hyperlocal mapping shows how industrial clusters and residential areas share the same airspace. Tackling this requires coordinated planning between city and government agencies,” said Ronak Sutaria, Founder and CEO of Respirer Living Sciences. he said.
“The transport-heavy and industrial areas in the north and northeast of Delhi continue to be chronic hotspots due to the concentration of small industrial clusters, constant traffic and poor air distribution in calm weather,” he added. In contrast, Dwarka, Sri Aurobindo Marg and Lodhi Road recorded relatively cleaner air, remaining close to the ‘satisfactory’ category of the air quality index (AQI). The month-long study mapped Delhi’s air into 3x3km grids to identify pollution. Hotspots that traditional monitoring networks cannot see.
With 144.1 micrograms per cubic meter (g/m³), Jahangirpuri topped the list as the most polluted district in the city, followed by Rohini (142 g/m³), Shahdara (134.8 g/m³), Mangolpuri Industrial Area (123.8 g/m³) and Madanpur Khadar (120.3 g/m³).
The report noted that at each of these locations, PM2.5 concentrations of more than twice the national safety limit of 60 g/m³ were recorded; This indicates intense, local exposure to toxic air.
PM2.5 refers to very small particles in the air that are 2.5 micrometers wide or smaller (about 1/30 the width of a human hair). These are so thin that they can reach deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream.
These particles mostly come from things like car exhaust, factories, forest fires, and home-burning fuel.
Pollution levels peaked between 20 and 21 October, when PM2.5 levels rose above 675 g/m³, coinciding with calm weather and festive emissions.
Since Diwali, the national capital’s air quality has consistently remained in the ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ category, shifting to the ‘severe’ zone at times.
On Monday morning, the AQI was recorded at 345, falling into the “very poor” category. As per CPCB data, Delhi’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at 9 am was at 345. The AQI level approached the “severe” category on Sunday morning, reaching 391, the highest of the season so far.
According to CPCB data, an AQI of 0-50 is considered “good”, 51-100 is “satisfactory”, 101-200 is “moderate”, 201-300 is “poor”, 301-400 is “very poor” and 401-500 is “severe”.
