Byrnihat and Delhi lead as India's most polluted cities
Byrnihat, a small town on the Assam-Meghalaya border, has become India's most polluted city for the first half of 2025.
Its average PM2.5 level hit 133 micrograms per cubic meter—over three times the national safety limit—mainly due to fast-growing industries and heavy traffic.
Byrnihat, Delhi, and Ghaziabad on top
A study by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) found that 122 out of 293 cities had already crossed safe PM2.5 limits this year.
Delhi, Ghaziabad, Hajipur, and Gurgaon also made the high-pollution list.
On a brighter note, Aizawl stood out with the cleanest air at just 8 ug/m3.
Over 250 cities exceeded annual pollution limits by June
By June 2025, a staggering 259 cities had already exceeded their annual pollution limits.
The report makes it clear: tackling air pollution is going to take serious effort if Indian cities want cleaner air anytime soon.