NEW DELHI: Delhi continues to record some of the highest air pollution levels in the country, with a new nationwide satellite assessment indicating that the crisis extends far beyond the capital’s borders.
According to a report released on Tuesday by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), the city has emerged as India’s most polluted state, with annual pollution-weighted PM2.5 levels touching 101 µg/m³—two-and-a-half times the national standard and 20 times the World Health Organization’s guideline.
All 11 of Delhi’s districts figure in the top pollution hotspots, underscoring the scale of exposure residents face throughout the year.
However, the report says that Delhi’s situation is not isolated. Satellite-based analysis of PM2.5 concentrations across 749 districts shows a year-round, countrywide pollution crisis, challenging the city-centric focus of current clean-air policies.
CREA found that 60% of Indian districts breach annual national limits, while none meet the WHO guideline. Districts in Assam and Delhi account for almost half of the 50 most polluted districts in India, with Haryana and Bihar also featuring prominently.
Seasonal data reveals sharp regional disparities across airsheds. The Indo-Gangetic Plains remain the most polluted airshed in every season except monsoon, while the Northeast is emerging as a new zone of concern with persistently elevated pollution.
Even during the monsoon, when PM2.5 typically dips, the Northeast continues to exceed safe levels, suggesting that baseline emissions rather than seasonal weather patterns are driving the rise.
Situation still grim
Delhi began Tuesday under a haze-laden sky and an unseasonably cold morning, even as the capital’s air quality showed only marginal improvement after nearly two weeks of persistent pollution.