India’s 10 most polluted cities in October: Check if your city is on the list

In October 2024, CREA (Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air) released analysis on the most polluted cities in India in October. According to the analysis, Delhi topped the list with an average PM2.5 level of 111 micrograms per cubic meter. It was followed by Ghaziabad (110) and Muzaffarnagar (103) in second and third place respectively.

CREA analysed the air quality of 263 cities for which data was available for 80% of the days. The report found that six cities of Uttar Pradesh—Ghaziabad, Muzaffarnagar, Hapur, Noida, Meerut and Greater Noida—figured in the top 10. Apart from this, three cities of Haryana—Gurugram, Charkhi Dadri and Bahadurgarh—were also in the list.

The PM2.5 level in all these cities was found to be much higher than the national standard of 60 micrograms per cubic meter and the World Health Organization (WHO) safe level of 15 micrograms per cubic meter. CREA analyst Manoj Kumar said, “According to the Decision Support System for Air Quality Management in Delhi, transboundary sources contributed 60-70% to Delhi’s average PM2.5 pollutants in October while less than 10% originated from harvest stubble burning. The elevated PM2.5 concentrations reveal the impact of year-round pollution sources such as transport, industries, and power plants, emphasising the need for comprehensive, long-term strategies.”

This October, Delhi recorded the highest pollution compared to the last four years. The average PM2.5 level was 111 micrograms per cubic meter, while it was 104 in 2023, 105 in 2022, 75 in 2021 and 133 in 2020. This year, the October average was two and a half times higher than September (43 micrograms per cubic metre).

Air quality levels in October

This October in Delhi:

14 days: Air quality was in the ‘very poor’ category (121-250 micrograms per cubic metre).

4 days: In the ‘poor’ category (91-120 micrograms per cubic metre).

8 days: In the ‘moderate’ category (61-90 micrograms per cubic metre).

5 days: Air quality was within the national standard (60 micrograms per cubic metre).

Although the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) was implemented from October 15, pollution control has not been effective. Experts believe that there is a dire need for long-term and comprehensive strategies to reduce air pollution.

This figure of October 2024 is a warning not only for NCR, but for the entire country. It is important to take immediate steps and adopt permanent solutions to prevent health and environmental hazards caused by pollution.