No major Indian city maintained safe air quality from 2015-2025
A decade-long study by Climate Trends shows that none of India's major cities managed to keep their air clean between 2015 and November 2025.
Delhi topped the charts for worst air, with AQI numbers always well above safe levels.
Cities like Lucknow and Varanasi weren't far behind, regularly posting worrying pollution scores.
Even the "cleaner" cities missed the mark
Places like Chennai, Mumbai, and Chandigarh had AQIs between 80 and 140—better than Delhi but still not safe.
Bengaluru did slightly better with numbers around 65 to 90, but even that didn't meet healthy standards.
Basically, no big city got a clean bill of health.
Why is Delhi struggling so much?
Delhi's bad air comes from a mix of car fumes, factories, crop burning nearby, and its geography trapping pollution.
The problem got worse in late 2025 because there wasn't enough rain to clear things out.
It's a reminder that cleaner air needs real action, not just wishful thinking.