Overview
- CPCB data show December’s citywide PM2.5 averaged 211 µg/m³, with daily levels topping 250 µg/m³ for more than 31% of the month and exceeding 150 µg/m³ for over 82%.
- The month’s peak daily average reached 392.65 µg/m³ on December 14, followed by 360.12 µg/m³ on December 13, the highest since December 2018.
- Station readings revealed stark disparities, with Mundka hitting 597.67 µg/m³ and several sites above 500 µg/m³ on December 14, while locations like NSIT Dwarka and IGI Airport recorded the lowest monthly means yet still above national limits.
- For January 1–December 28, Delhi’s annual PM2.5 average stood at 95.31 µg/m³, lower than recent years but still more than 2.5 times India’s standard and nearly six times the WHO guideline.
- Analysts note the December peak occurred without stubble-burning influence and urge enforceable sector-specific cuts in transport, industry and power, as others flag missing data and algorithm issues that could understate exposure.