No Indian district meets global air quality standards: Study
Not a single one of India's 749 districts meets the World Health Organization's safe air quality limit for PM2.5, according to a new CREA report.
Nearly 60% of districts even exceed India's own, much higher pollution standard—showing that unhealthy air is a nationwide issue.
Delhi and Assam top the pollution charts
Delhi has the highest average PM2.5 levels at 101 mg/m3—over double the national limit and 20 times above WHO guidelines.
Assam and Delhi together make up almost half of India's most polluted districts, with Bihar and Haryana not far behind.
Pollution peaks in winter (with 82% of districts over the limit), drops during monsoon, but quickly bounces back after—so there's barely any real break from bad air.
South and Northeast: Different struggles, same problem
Southern states like Puducherry and Kerala have lower PM2.5 levels (Puducherry leads at 25 mg/m3), but they're still not meeting global standards.
Meanwhile, Northeast India is turning into a year-round pollution hotspot, with little relief even during monsoon season.
The study suggests it's time for smarter solutions that look beyond just city limits if we want cleaner air everywhere.