60% of Indian districts have unsafe air, says new study
A study published in 2025 using satellite data up to March 2025 by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) found that 60% of India's districts have PM2.5 pollution above the national safe limit—and none meet the stricter World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.
The message: air quality issues aren't just a "big city" thing anymore.
Where's it worst?
Delhi tops the charts with PM2.5 levels at 101 ug/m3—2.5 times India's limit and 20 times higher than what WHO recommends.
Other states like Assam, Haryana, Punjab, and Bihar also see widespread high pollution.
Meanwhile, southern states such as Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are doing better but still don't hit WHO's safer targets.
What needs to change?
CREA suggests we need to look beyond just cities—think whole regions or "airsheds"—and use near real-time satellite data for smarter action plans.
They're developing tools for targeted cuts in pollution from power plants, industry, and burning biomass to help everyone breathe easier in the future.