NEW DELHI: A new study assessing air quality data across 11 major Indian cities from 2015 to 2025 reveals that no city has achieved safe Air Quality Index (AQI) levels in their annual averages over the past decade. Among these, Delhi remains the most polluted city, with air quality consistently falling in the unhealthy range.
The study, conducted by Climate Trends, highlights that cities in northern India such as Lucknow, Varanasi, Ahmedabad, and Pune recorded unhealthy AQI levels, while others like Kolkata, Mumbai, Chandigarh, and Visakhapatnam saw moderate but still unsafe air quality.
Even as farm fires decreased in 2025, Delhi’s air quality showed little improvement, underscoring the role of local pollution sources and meteorological conditions in worsening the city’s winter smog.
Bengaluru, which exhibited the lowest AQI values among the cities, still faced air quality levels exceeding “good” thresholds, highlighting that no major metro is free from pollution concerns.
Experts warn that moving away from Delhi for cleaner air is not a long-term solution. Palak Balyan, Research Lead at Climate Trends, emphasised the need for sustained, science-based policy reform and political will to address the issue.
“Air pollution affects everyone, but particularly those working outdoors, such as street vendors and construction workers. Instead of relocating, India must focus on systemic change,” she said.
The report also points to seasonal pollution spikes caused by Diwali fireworks and stubble burning, along with a lack of rainfall in the Indo-Gangetic plains since October.
Mahesh Palawat, vice president, meteorology and climate change, at Skymet Weather noted that weak western disturbances have failed to bring widespread rainfall, allowing pollution to linger and exacerbate smog conditions across north India.