Delhi ends 2025 with slightly cleaner air, but big challenges remain
Delhi is wrapping up 2025 with a small drop in its annual PM2.5 pollution levels, mostly thanks to an unusually heavy monsoon that helped clear the air.
The average PM2.5 level this year was about 95ug/m3—just below the usual 100+ seen in recent years, according to the Central Pollution Control Board.
Still way above safe limits—and winter made things worse
Even with this dip, Delhi's air is still over twice as polluted as India's own safety standard (40ug/m3) and nearly six times higher than what the World Health Organization recommends.
The improvement was short-lived: after the rains, pollution spiked again in November and December due to dry weather and stagnant winds.
In fact, December is shaping up to be the city's most polluted month since 2018, showing that weather alone isn't enough to fix Delhi's ongoing air quality problem.