Delhi Ranks 6th Among India's Most Polluted Cities in October: Comprehensive Air Quality Study Reveals

Dharuhera emerged as the most polluted city in India during October according to recent findings.

New Delhi:

A recent study has positioned Delhi as the sixth most polluted city in India for October, trailing behind neighboring urban centers Ghaziabad and Noida.

According to the Monthly Air Quality Snapshot released Tuesday by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), Haryana's Dharuhera claimed the unenviable top position with a monthly average PM2.5 concentration measuring 123 µg/m³.

This comprehensive analysis utilized data from continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) across the country, revealing a significant deterioration in air quality nationwide, with the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) and particularly the National Capital Region (NCR) experiencing the worst conditions.

Delhi registered an average concentration of 107 µg/m³, representing a threefold increase from September's 36 µg/m³. Notably, stubble burning contributed less than 6 percent to Delhi's PM2.5 levels in October, underscoring the impact of year-round emission sources and highlighting the necessity for long-term mitigation strategies beyond seasonal measures like the Graded Response Action Plan.

Dharuhera exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) limit on 77 percent of days in October, recording two 'Severe' and nine 'Very Poor' air quality days. Following Dharuhera in the pollution rankings were Rohtak, Ghaziabad, Noida, Ballabgarh, Delhi, Bhiwadi, Greater Noida, Hapur, and Gurgaon.

The top ten most polluted cities included four each from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, all situated within the NCR boundaries.

On the positive side, Shillong in Meghalaya earned recognition as India's cleanest city with an average PM2.5 concentration of just 10 µg/m³. The top ten cleanest cities featured four from Karnataka, three from Tamil Nadu, and one each from Meghalaya, Sikkim, and Chhattisgarh.

Of the 249 cities analyzed, 212 recorded PM2.5 levels below India's NAAQS threshold of 60 µg/m³. However, only six cities met the World Health Organization's (WHO) daily safe guideline of 15 µg/m³.

October witnessed a dramatic shift in air quality categories compared to September. Cities with 'Good' air quality (0-30 µg/m³) declined sharply from 179 to 68, while those in the 'Satisfactory' range (31-60 µg/m³) increased from 52 to 144.

Cities experiencing 'Moderate' air quality (61-90 µg/m³) increased from 4 to 27, while nine cities fell into the 'Poor' category (91-120 µg/m³) and one city reached 'Very Poor' levels (121-250 µg/m³).