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Byrnihat Tops Pollution Rankings as Indian Cities Exceed PM2.5 Safety Limits

CREA’s mid-year air quality analysis finds that over 40% of monitored cities have breached national PM2.5 limits, cementing a broader public health crisis

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.
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Overview

  • Byrnihat recorded an average PM2.5 concentration of 133 µg/m³ in the first half of 2025, making it India’s most polluted city while Delhi ranked second at 87 µg/m³
  • 122 of 293 cities have surpassed India’s annual PM2.5 standard of 40 µg/m³ by June, and all 239 cities with sufficient data have exceeded the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³
  • Delhi locked in non-compliance by breaching the WHO limit on January 10 and the national standard by June 5, illustrating how early-year overshoot days determine annual exceedances
  • Source apportionment from IIT Delhi and the PRANA portal shows transport, dust, industry and power plants, residential combustion and agricultural burning each contribute significantly to urban PM2.5 loads
  • Despite Supreme Court directives, only two of the 11 thermal power plants within 300 km of Delhi have installed flue gas desulfurization units, underscoring critical enforcement gaps