New Delhi: Nearly 44 per cent of Indian cities are grappling with chronic air pollution, pointing to a deep-seated structural crisis driven by continuous emission sources rather than seasonal or short-term spikes, according to a new analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).
Using satellite-based data, the study assessed PM2.5 pollution levels across 4,041 cities in India. It found that 1,787 cities consistently breached the national annual PM2.5 standard every year between 2019 and 2024, excluding the COVID-disrupted year of 2020. This persistent violation underscores that air pollution in India is no longer confined to episodic events but has become a long-term public health challenge.
Despite the scale of the problem, the report highlighted a significant policy gap. Only 130 cities are currently covered under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), and just 67 of these overlap with the 1,787 cities identified as chronically polluted. As a result, barely 4 per cent of the cities facing sustained air quality violations fall under targeted clean air action plans.
The PM2.5 assessment for 2025 ranked Byrnihat in Assam as the most polluted city in the country, followed by Delhi and Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, with annual average concentrations of 100 µg/m³, 96 µg/m³ and 93 µg/m³ respectively. Noida placed fourth on the list, followed by Gurugram, Greater Noida, Bhiwadi, Hajipur, Muzaffarnagar and Hapur, highlighting the concentration of severe pollution across northern India.
Non-attainment cities, identified by the Central Pollution Control Board for repeatedly failing to meet National Ambient Air Quality Standards, were found to be heavily clustered in a few states. Uttar Pradesh topped the list with 416 such cities, followed by Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Bihar and West Bengal.
The report also raised concerns about monitoring gaps under the NCAP. Of the 130 cities included in the programme, 28 still do not have continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations. Among the remaining 102 cities with monitoring infrastructure, 100 recorded PM10 levels exceeding 80 per cent of the prescribed limits, reflecting limited progress on coarse particulate pollution.
While some cities have shown improvement, the overall picture remains uneven. Twenty-three cities achieved the revised target of a 40 per cent reduction in PM10 levels, but an equal number witnessed worsening air quality since the programme began. Delhi emerged as the most polluted city for PM10, with annual average levels nearly three times the national standard, followed closely by Ghaziabad and Greater Noida. Rajasthan accounted for the highest number of cities in the country’s top 50 PM10 hotspots.
Manoj Kumar, India analyst at CREA, said the findings point to the need for urgent reforms in India’s air quality governance. He stressed that tackling PM2.5 and its precursor gases, revising the list of non-attainment cities, enforcing stricter industrial emission norms, and adopting an airshed-based approach are critical for meaningful improvement.
Since the launch of NCAP, the Centre has released Rs 13,415 crore under the programme and the 15th Finance Commission grants, of which about 74 per cent has been utilised. However, the report noted that a disproportionate share of spending has gone towards road dust management, while sectors such as industry, domestic fuel use, public awareness and monitoring have received relatively limited funding.
