Delhi's air pollution just hit a 7-year high

India Dec 31, 2025

December 2025 was rough for Delhi's air, with PM2.5 pollution averaging 211 ug/m3—the highest since 2018, says the Central Pollution Control Board.
On about a third of December days, levels shot past 250 ug/m3, peaking at a wild 392 ug/m3 on December 14.
Basically, every part of the city felt it.

Where it got worst—and why it matters

Pollution wasn't equal everywhere: Anand Vihar topped the charts with an average of nearly 272 ug/m3, and Mundka saw a single-day spike to almost 600 ug/m3.
Even spots like NSIT Dwarka and IGI Airport went way over safe limits.
Nighttime pollution also climbed higher than before, which experts say points to constant emissions—not just weather—driving Delhi's ongoing air quality crisis.