Delhi ranks second in India's mid-year pollution list. This city tops the chart
The independent analysis found that Delhi experienced 63 days of 'moderate' air quality during this period, followed by 52 days in the 'satisfactory' category and 31 days marked as 'poor'. Additionally, there were three days when the air quality dipped to the 'severe' category.
'Delhi ranked as India's 2nd most polluted city, with PM2.5 pollution levels reaching twice the NAAQS at 87 µg/m³,' the report stated.
It further stressed the need for a comprehensive strategy to tackle Delhi's air pollution, suggesting that efforts must go beyond the transport and agriculture sectors. 'A serious response to Delhiʼs air pollution problem requires a multi-sectoral approach that applies the same level of attention and regulatory effort to power and industry as is currently applied to transport and agriculture,' the report said.
The findings also highlighted that Delhi breached the World Health Organizations (WHO)'s annual PM2.5 guideline on January 10 and crossed the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) on June 5.
According to the report, this means that even if pollution levels remain low for the rest of the year, the city will still not meet either standard. The 'overshoot day' is defined as a date when average pollution levels prior to that day are already high enough that even minimal daily concentrations going forward would result in annual non-compliance.
Delhi's pollution fight needs a 'multi-sectoral approach'
While restrictions like Delhi's end-of-life vehicle ban play a role in managing air quality, concentrating only on emissions from vehicles overlooks other major, ongoing sources of pollution.
Despite clear directions from the Supreme Court, most thermal power plants near Delhi still lack essential pollution control systems such as flue gas desulfurization (FGD) units, according to the CREA report. By mid-2025, only two out of eleven coal-based plants within 300 kilometres of the capital – NTPC Dadri and the Mahatma Gandhi power plant – had functioning FGDs.
This gap in enforcement undermines progress achieved through stricter vehicle-related regulations and creates an imbalance in how pollution sources are addressed. While transport and agriculture are closely monitored, other sectors continue contributing significantly to pollution with little accountability.
Without swift and comprehensive action across all polluting sectors, measures like vehicle bans and seasonal restrictions will have limited impact, as ongoing emissions from other sources will continue to drive poor air quality.
Which city is the most polluted, and which is the cleanest?
Between January and June 2025, Byrnihat – a town on the Assam-Meghalaya border – recorded the highest levels of air pollution in the country, with an average PM2.5 concentration of 133 µg/m³, according to the research report.
Byrnihat experienced the majority of its days with air quality in the 'very poor' range (75 days), followed by 38 days in the 'moderate' range, 27 days classified as 'poor', and 13 days in the 'severe' category. There were 25 days with 'satisfactory' air quality, but not a single day met the 'good' category standard.
At the other end of the spectrum, 'Aizawl in Mizoram emerged as the cleanest city during the first half of 2025,' with an average PM2.5 level of just 8 µg/m³. The top 10 cleanest cities included three from Karnataka, two each from Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, and one city each from Mizoram, Manipur, and Madhya Pradesh.
The list of the most polluted cities also featured Hajipur, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, Sasaram, Patna, Talcher, Rourkela, and Rajgir alongside Byrnihat and Delhi.
Among these top 10 most polluted cities, Bihar accounted for four, followed by two in Odisha. Delhi, Assam, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh each had one city in the list.
259 out of 293 cities exceed WHO's annual PM2.5 standards
By June 2025, 259 out of 293 monitored cities had exceeded the WHO's annual PM2.5 limit, highlighting a broad pattern of non-compliance with international air quality standards.
The number of cities breaching the WHO benchmark varied each month: 107 in January, 114 in February, 21 in March, 10 in April, four in May, and three in June. This month-by-month pattern shows that air pollution is not limited to specific hotspots but is a widespread problem across the country.
Despite several cities consistently recording high pollution levels, only a limited number are currently part of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). As a result, many cities with ongoing poor air quality lack targeted strategies or action plans to curb pollution.
When compared to India's own air quality benchmarks—the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)—only three cities exceeded the limit during the first half of 2025. This sharp contrast points to the limitations of the current national standards in protecting public health.
The NAAQS, established in 2009, have not been revised in over a decade. The findings underline the need for an urgent update to these standards so they are better aligned with international guidelines, including interim targets set by the WHO.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Time of India
Air quality in Mumbai's Deonar and Sion worse than coastal cities of Chennai and Kolkata in Jan-June 2025, finds national study on air pollution
Mumbai: In the first six months of 2025, Mumbai, as a whole, reported average toxic PM2.5 levels in the air below the national standard, but several of its areas, including Deonar, Sion, Kandivli East, and Bandra-Kurla Complex, saw higher pollution compared to other coastal cities like Chennai, Kolkata, Vijayawada, and Puducherry. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This highlights the need for strict enforcement of hotspot-based measures to effectively reduce PM2.5 concentrations, stated a latest national report on air pollution, which draws on data from Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) in 239 cities. The PM2.5 particles in air are considered carcinogenic and can be absorbed in blood upon breathing. The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) has released its half-yearly analysis of air quality across India for January to June 2025, revealing a persistent and widespread challenge in meeting both national and international air quality standards. Deonar stands out as one of the most polluted monitoring sites among all the listed coastal locations, with other Mumbai areas, such as Sion, Kandivli East, Bandra-Kurla Complex, Borivli East, Worli, Mazgaon, Shivaji Nagar, Sewri, and Kurla, also registering PM2.5 levels above or equal to NAAQS (national ambient air quality standards) which is 40 μg/m³ (micrograms per cubic metre). "These figures place Mumbai's air quality in a more concerning bracket, especially when compared to many sites in Chennai and Puducherry, where the PM2.5 concentrations are generally lower," the study stated. According to the report, the compliance assessment shows that PM2.5 data was available for over 80% of days in 239 cities with CAAQMS. Among these, 122 cities exceeded India's annual National Ambient NAAQS of 40 μg/m3, while 117 cities remained below this threshold. However, all 239 cities surpassed the much stricter World Health Organization's (WHO) annual standard of 5 μg/m3. This widespread exceedance indicates that air pollution continues to pose a significant public health risk even in cities that are technically 'compliant' with Indian standards, the report stated further. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "While Kolkata also has several locations with high PM2.5 concentrations, Mumbai's pollution levels are notable for their consistency across multiple sites. In contrast, Chennai's monitoring stations, particularly those in residential and peripheral areas, often report much cleaner air. Puducherry and Vijayawada show even lower PM2.5 averages, indicating better air quality. This comparison highlights that Mumbai, despite its coastal location, faces significant air pollution challenges, making it one of the more polluted coastal cities in India during the first half of the year," said CREA's analyst and researcher Manoj Kumar. "Addressing the air quality crisis in any Indian city requires a multi-sectoral approach. Fragmented or seasonal measures are not enough. Urgent steps are needed to update national standards, expand NCAP coverage to gaseous pollutants, and enforce mitigation measures for all polluting sources to safeguard public health throughout the year," added Kumar
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
Delhi ranks second in India's mid-year pollution list. This city tops the chart
Delhi remained the second most polluted city in India between January and June 2025, recording 29 days with 'very poor' air quality and only three days in the 'good' category, according to a mid-year assessment by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) released on Friday. The need for a comprehensive strategy to tackle Delhi's air pollution, suggesting that efforts must go beyond the transport and agriculture sectors, according to CREA assessment. (Reuters file) The independent analysis found that Delhi experienced 63 days of 'moderate' air quality during this period, followed by 52 days in the 'satisfactory' category and 31 days marked as 'poor'. Additionally, there were three days when the air quality dipped to the 'severe' category. 'Delhi ranked as India's 2nd most polluted city, with PM2.5 pollution levels reaching twice the NAAQS at 87 µg/m³,' the report stated. It further stressed the need for a comprehensive strategy to tackle Delhi's air pollution, suggesting that efforts must go beyond the transport and agriculture sectors. 'A serious response to Delhiʼs air pollution problem requires a multi-sectoral approach that applies the same level of attention and regulatory effort to power and industry as is currently applied to transport and agriculture,' the report said. The findings also highlighted that Delhi breached the World Health Organizations (WHO)'s annual PM2.5 guideline on January 10 and crossed the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) on June 5. According to the report, this means that even if pollution levels remain low for the rest of the year, the city will still not meet either standard. The 'overshoot day' is defined as a date when average pollution levels prior to that day are already high enough that even minimal daily concentrations going forward would result in annual non-compliance. Delhi's pollution fight needs a 'multi-sectoral approach' While restrictions like Delhi's end-of-life vehicle ban play a role in managing air quality, concentrating only on emissions from vehicles overlooks other major, ongoing sources of pollution. Despite clear directions from the Supreme Court, most thermal power plants near Delhi still lack essential pollution control systems such as flue gas desulfurization (FGD) units, according to the CREA report. By mid-2025, only two out of eleven coal-based plants within 300 kilometres of the capital – NTPC Dadri and the Mahatma Gandhi power plant – had functioning FGDs. This gap in enforcement undermines progress achieved through stricter vehicle-related regulations and creates an imbalance in how pollution sources are addressed. While transport and agriculture are closely monitored, other sectors continue contributing significantly to pollution with little accountability. Without swift and comprehensive action across all polluting sectors, measures like vehicle bans and seasonal restrictions will have limited impact, as ongoing emissions from other sources will continue to drive poor air quality. Which city is the most polluted, and which is the cleanest? Between January and June 2025, Byrnihat – a town on the Assam-Meghalaya border – recorded the highest levels of air pollution in the country, with an average PM2.5 concentration of 133 µg/m³, according to the research report. Byrnihat experienced the majority of its days with air quality in the 'very poor' range (75 days), followed by 38 days in the 'moderate' range, 27 days classified as 'poor', and 13 days in the 'severe' category. There were 25 days with 'satisfactory' air quality, but not a single day met the 'good' category standard. At the other end of the spectrum, 'Aizawl in Mizoram emerged as the cleanest city during the first half of 2025,' with an average PM2.5 level of just 8 µg/m³. The top 10 cleanest cities included three from Karnataka, two each from Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, and one city each from Mizoram, Manipur, and Madhya Pradesh. The list of the most polluted cities also featured Hajipur, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, Sasaram, Patna, Talcher, Rourkela, and Rajgir alongside Byrnihat and Delhi. Among these top 10 most polluted cities, Bihar accounted for four, followed by two in Odisha. Delhi, Assam, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh each had one city in the list. 259 out of 293 cities exceed WHO's annual PM2.5 standards By June 2025, 259 out of 293 monitored cities had exceeded the WHO's annual PM2.5 limit, highlighting a broad pattern of non-compliance with international air quality standards. The number of cities breaching the WHO benchmark varied each month: 107 in January, 114 in February, 21 in March, 10 in April, four in May, and three in June. This month-by-month pattern shows that air pollution is not limited to specific hotspots but is a widespread problem across the country. Despite several cities consistently recording high pollution levels, only a limited number are currently part of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). As a result, many cities with ongoing poor air quality lack targeted strategies or action plans to curb pollution. When compared to India's own air quality benchmarks—the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)—only three cities exceeded the limit during the first half of 2025. This sharp contrast points to the limitations of the current national standards in protecting public health. The NAAQS, established in 2009, have not been revised in over a decade. The findings underline the need for an urgent update to these standards so they are better aligned with international guidelines, including interim targets set by the WHO.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
2 days ago
- First Post
Big fat problem: Why 'eat less, move more' mantra might not always work to fight obesity
For years, people living with obesity have been given the same basic advice: eat less, move more. But while this mantra may sound simple, it's not effective for all. Genetics, childhood experiences, cultural norms, economic disadvantage, psychological health, mental illness and even the kind of job you have all play a role and cannot be ignored read more Advertisement While behaviour change has a place, focusing on it exclusively creates a dangerous narrative: that people who struggle with their weight are simply lazy or lack willpower. Image for Representation. Reuters For years, people living with obesity have been given the same basic advice: eat less, move more. But while this mantra may sound simple, it's not only ineffective for many, it can be deeply misleading and damaging. Obesity is not just about willpower. It's a complex, chronic, relapsing condition and affects around 26.5 per cent of adults in England , and 22.1 per cent of children aged ten–11 in England. A new report estimates the rapidly growing number of people that are overweight or obese costs the UK £126 billion a year . This includes £71.4 billion in reduced quality of life and early mortality, £12.6 billion in NHS treatment costs, £12.1 billion from unemployment and £10.5 billion in informal care. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Food campaigners and health experts have called for urgent government action , including expanding the sugar tax to more products, restricting junk food advertising and mandating reformulation of ultra processed foods. As Henry Dimbleby , author of a government-commissioned independent report called the National Food Strategy , warned: 'We've created a food system that's poisoning our population and bankrupting the state.' Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK's latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences. Without significant policy change, these costs are projected to rise to £150 billion a year by 2035. Despite this, much of the UK's approach continues to frame obesity as a lifestyle issue that can be tackled by emphasising personal responsibility. But this framing ignores the bigger picture. We now understand that obesity is multifactorial . Genetics, childhood experiences, cultural norms, economic disadvantage, psychological health, mental illness and even the kind of job you have all play a role. These aren't things you can simply change with a Fitbit and salad. obesity is multifactorial. Genetics, childhood experiences, cultural norms, economic disadvantage, psychological health, mental illness and even the kind of job you have all play a roleImage courtesy: Pixabay/Representational This broader perspective isn't new. In 2007, the UK government's Foresight report mapped out the complex web of factors behind rising obesity rates, describing how modern environments actively promote weight gain . This 'obesogenic environment' refers to the world we live in. Its one where high-calorie, low-nutrient foods are cheap and everywhere, and where physical activity has been engineered out of everyday life, from car-centric cities to screen-dominated leisure time. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD These environments don't affect everyone equally. People in more deprived areas are significantly more exposed to conditions that drive obesity, such as food deserts (areas with limited access to affordable, nutritious food), poor public transport and limited green space. In this context, weight gain becomes a normal biological response to an abnormal environment. Why 'eat less, move more' isn't helping Despite growing awareness of these systemic issues, most UK obesity strategies still centre on individual behaviour change, often through weight management programmes that encourage people to cut calories and exercise more. While behaviour change has a place, focusing on it exclusively creates a dangerous narrative: that people who struggle with their weight are simply lazy or lack willpower. This narrative fuels weight stigma, which can be incredibly harmful. Yet data shows a clear link between higher rates of obesity and deprivation, especially among children . There is a clear link between higher rates of obesity and deprivation, especially among children. Image for Representation. Reuters It's clear many people still don't understand the role of structural and socioeconomic factors in shaping obesity risk. And this misunderstanding leads to judgement, shame and stigma, especially for children and families who are already vulnerable. What should good obesity care look like? Instead of outdated advice and blame, we need a holistic, stigma-free and science-informed approach to obesity care, one that reflects current Nice guidelines and the Obesity Health Alliance 's recommendations. There are several things that need to be done. First, we should recognise obesity as a chronic disease. Obesity is not a failure of willpower. It's a relapsing, long-term medical condition . Like diabetes or depression, it requires structured, ongoing support, not short-term fixes or crash diets. Second, we need to tackle weight stigma head-on. Weight-based discrimination is widespread in schools, workplaces and even healthcare settings. We need training for professionals to reduce bias, promote inclusive care and adopt person-centred, non-stigmatising language . Discriminatory practices must be challenged and eliminated. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Third, deliver personalised, multidimensional support. Treatment plans should be tailored to each person's life, including their cultural background, psychological history and social context. This includes shared decision-making, regular follow-up and integrated mental health support. Instead of outdated advice and blame, we need a holistic, stigma-free and science-informed approach to obesity care. Image for Representation. Pixabay And fourth, focus on changing the environment, not just people. We must shift the focus to the systems and structures that make healthy choices so hard. That means investing in affordable, nutritious food; improving access to physical activity; and tackling inequality at its roots. Need for a systemic shift Obesity isn't just about what people eat or how often they exercise. It's shaped by biology , experience and the environment we build around people. Framing it as a personal failure not only ignores decades of evidence – it actively harms the very people who need support. If we want to reduce stigma, improve health outcomes – and avoid a £150bn crisis – then the 'eat less, move more' era must come to an end. What we need instead is a bold, compassionate, evidence-based systems approach – one that sees the whole person and the world they live in. Lucie Nield , Senior Lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Sheffield and Catherine Homer , Associate Professor of Obesity and Public Health, School of Sport and Physical Activity , Sheffield Hallam University STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article .
