Delhi's December air gets worse, even with less stubble burning
Delhi's air quality took a hit in December, with PM2.5 levels jumping 29% compared to October and November—even though stubble burning barely played a role this time (just 0.2%).
The average PM2.5 for the city was 210 ug/m3, according to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).
Pollution hit "very poor" to "severe" most days
December's daily pollution swung between "very poor" and "severe," peaking at 393 ug/m3 on some days.
Noida saw an average of 352 ug/m3 during a mid-month smog episode, while places like Gurugram and Faridabad also faced sharp increases.
Local sources—especially vehicles—are driving the problem
About 35% of Delhi's December pollution came from local sources, with nearly half of that from vehicles alone.
The rest drifted in from other NCR districts or formed as secondary aerosols.
This is still an ongoing challenge for the city.