Delhi's 2025: Smog, floods, and a wake-up call for city planning
This year, Delhi really struggled with both choking air pollution and heavy flooding.
Even with emergency plans in place, air quality hit dangerous highs—AQI numbers soared past 400 during winter, making December the worst since 2018.
When monsoon rains hit, poor drainage left streets waterlogged and traffic at a standstill, showing just how much the city's planning is lagging behind.
Not just Delhi—other cities are sinking too
It wasn't only Delhi in trouble. Mumbai saw floods thanks to unchecked building near rivers; Gurugram lost wetlands and got swamped; Bengaluru's rapid growth left its drains overwhelmed.
Experts say it's time for Indian cities to get serious about long-term urban planning—think restoring wetlands, better drainage, and stricter rules on where we build—to avoid more years like this one.