Patna, Ghaziabad among India's most polluted cities in winter 2024-25
India
In winter 2024-25, Delhi recorded the highest PM2.5 levels in India.
Patna came in second, and cities like Ghaziabad and Noida also struggled with heavy pollution in 2024-25.
Patna even beat Delhi's AQI on 1 day
Patna even beat Delhi's air quality index, or AQI, on one day, hitting 335 in December.
The study points to weather issues like slow winds and humidity trapping pollution in northern cities.
Meanwhile, Chennai (a coastal city) and Bengaluru (an inland city) fared better but still saw their air quality drop during winter.
Experts suggest setting clear winter targets for cutting PM2.5
Experts suggest setting clear winter targets for cutting PM2.5 and updating clean air plans to factor in local weather patterns, so efforts actually match what's happening on the ground.