Most Polluted Cities in India: Delhi was the sixth most polluted city in the country in October 2025. According to CREA report, air quality reached dangerous levels in many cities of NCR and Haryana. At the same time, Shillong remained the cleanest city in the country.
Delhi Pollution Causes: Delhi’s air has once again become poisonous. Recent reports have revealed that Delhi was the sixth most polluted city in the country in October 2025. A study by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) has released these shocking figures. Ghaziabad, Noida, Rohtak and Dharuhera, areas around Delhi, were found to be more polluted than the capital. The report emphasized that air quality has deteriorated most rapidly in the NCR and the Indo-Gangetic Plain. The biggest thing is that the cause of pollution in Delhi is not stubble but something else. Know what is in the report…
most polluted city
According to CREA report, Dharuhera in Haryana was the most polluted city in the country in October. The average PM2.5 level here was recorded at 123 µg/m³, which is twice the national standard (NAAQS-60 µg/m³). In Dharuhera, 77% of the days during October were above pollution limits, of which 2 days were recorded in the ‘severe’ and 9 days in the ‘very poor’ category. These figures show that not only Delhi, but the entire NCR is in the grip of pollution.
Pollution situation in Delhi
Delhi’s average PM2.5 level stood at 107 µg/m³ in October, while it was just 36 µg/m³ in September. That is, a threefold increase in just one month. It is clear that with the onset of winter the amount of toxic particles in the air has reached dangerous levels. Delhi recorded several consecutive days in the ‘very poor’ category during October, making it difficult for people to breathe.
The biggest reason for pollution in Delhi
The report also said that stubble contributed just less than 6% of Delhi’s total pollution in October. This means that it would be wrong to blame only stubble burning. The real reasons are smoke emitted from vehicles, dust from construction works, factories and industrial emissions, burning of garbage and diesel generators. These sources are active throughout the year, so it is difficult to control pollution with GRAP alone.
What is GRAP?
Like every year, this time also the government implements GRAP (Graded Response Action Plan), in which steps like ban on construction works, ban on diesel vehicles and installation of smog towers are taken. But the CREA report suggests that these steps only provide temporary relief, not a permanent solution. According to experts, now there is a need for rapid adoption of electric vehicles, making public transport cheaper and easier, and making dust control technology at construction sites mandatory.
10 most polluted cities
According to CREA report, most of the list of top 10 polluted cities are from NCR and Haryana. These also include Rohtak, Ghaziabad, Noida, Ballabgarh, Bhiwadi, Greater Noida, Hapur and Gurgaon. That means the entire NCR is in the Red Zone, where poison has dissolved in the air.
Which is the cleanest city?
On one hand, North India is in a suffocating state, on the other hand, Shillong of Meghalaya has become the cleanest city in the country. The average PM2.5 level here in October 2025 was only 10 µg/m³, which is better than the WHO standard (15 µg/m³). Apart from this, cities of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu also performed well in terms of clean air. Where the air of 179 cities was ‘good’ in September. In October this number dropped to only 68. This is a clear indication that with increasing cold the amount of pollutant particles in the air is increasing rapidly.
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