Ghaziabad tops pollution chart, 20 NCR cities see PM2.5 surge
What's the story
Air pollution in Northern India witnessed a sharp spike in November, with Ghaziabad emerging as the most polluted city in the country. The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) released a report indicating that 20 out of 29 National Capital Region (NCR) cities had higher PM2.5 levels than last year. The report found Ghaziabad recorded PM2.5 levels of 224ug/m3, making it India's most polluted city last month.
Pollution levels
Delhi among India's most polluted cities in November
Delhi was the fourth most polluted city in India, with PM2.5 levels nearly doubling from October's 107ug/m3 to November's 215ug/m3. The city had no days within safe National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), recording 23 "very poor" days, six "severe" days, and one "poor" day. Despite a reduction in stubble burning's contribution to pollution, Delhi still saw high PM2.5 levels due to other sources like transport and industry emissions.
Persistent pollution
Ghaziabad records severe pollution levels throughout November
Ghaziabad recorded PM2.5 levels above the NAAQS every day in November, with 19 "very poor" days and 10 "severe" days. Other cities, such as Noida, Bahadurgarh, Delhi, Hapur and Greater Noida also recorded high PM2.5 levels throughout the month. The CREA report highlighted that local emissions were a major contributor to hazardous winter pollution in these areas.
National impact
Nationwide air quality deteriorates in November
The CREA analysis also showed a nationwide decline in air quality. Out of 255 cities monitored, 114 exceeded India's daily PM2.5 standard of 60ug/m3. Only Shillong and Gangtok met the World Health Organization's (WHO) guideline of 15ug/m3 daily average. The report also highlighted a drastic change in city-level air quality categories from October to November, with cities in the "Good" range falling sharply while those in the "very poor" category increased significantly.
Pollution hotspots
NCR cities dominate India's pollution charts
The CREA report noted that 36 cities across India were among the top 10 most polluted cities in November, with Ghaziabad and Delhi featuring most often. Ghaziabad was on the list for 28 days, followed by Noida (27 days), Hapur (24 days) and Greater Noida (21 days). Rajasthan had 23 out of 34 cities exceeding the NAAQS, followed by Haryana with 22 out of 25 cities, and Uttar Pradesh with 14 out of 20 cities.