Delhi air pollution shifts as ground level ozone rises
Delhi's air is facing a fresh challenge: ground-level ozone.
While older pollutants like nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide are dropping, ozone levels have climbed from 52 micrograms per cubic meter in 2021 to 66 micrograms per cubic meter in 2025.
This shift means the city's pollution problem isn't going away; it's just changing shape.
Sunlight driven ozone harms lungs
Ozone forms when sunlight reacts with other pollutants, so it spikes in hot months, especially May.
It's invisible but can seriously irritate your lungs and make breathing harder.
Tackling ozone is tricky since it comes from many sources, and NCR cities like Noida and Meerut are seeing similar rises (though Bulandshahr bucks the trend).
So, cleaning up the air will take more than one quick fix — it'll need a team effort across the whole region.