The November India Monthly Ambient Air Quality Snapshot published by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) found that November saw increasing pollution in the country, with 159 cities (out of 268 cities) breaching PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) of 60 μg/m³. Moreover, only one city (Aizawl) complied with the World Health Organization’s standard of 15 μg/m³.
According to the analysis, Delhi was ranked as the most polluted city in India, recording a monthly average PM2.5 concentration of 249 μg/m³, the highest November pollution level for the city since 2017. The November PM2.5 average was 2.2 times higher than October’s 111 μg/m³. Delhi recorded 20 days in the ‘Very Poor’ (121-250 μg/m³) category and 10 days in the
‘Severe’ (>250 μg/m³) category. Although the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) was in effect, the Decision Support System reported that the transport sector’s contribution to Delhi’s PM2.5 remained at least 20%, similar to non-GRAP periods, raising concerns about the effectiveness of GRAP’s on-ground implementation.
Despite GRAP measures, a significant reduction in fire events (37,602) this year, and a lower contribution from stubble burning to PM2.5 levels, 28 cities in Delhi NCR exceeded NAAQS limit this November. Only six out of these 28 cities were included in the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).
Ghaziabad, Hajipur, Bahadurgarh, Gurgaon, Noida, Hapur, Sonipat, Byrnihat, and Bhiwani were identified as the second to tenth most polluted cities in India in descending order. Haryana contributed four cities to India’s top 10 most polluted list, followed by three from Uttar Pradesh and one each from Bihar, Assam, and Delhi. This highlights that the pollution extends beyond Delhi NCR and it would require a regional airshed level approach to curb pollution levels in the Indo gangetic region.
With the exception of Chennai and Bangalore, all other megacities such as Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata exceeded PM2.5 NAAQS in November. In November 2024, the number of cities with ‘Good’ (0-30 μg/m³) air quality dropped significantly to 32, compared to 79 in October. Meanwhile, cities with ‘Satisfactory’ (31-60 μg/m³) air quality decreased from 135 in October to 77 in November. The number of cities experiencing ‘Moderate’ (61-90 μg/m³) air quality rose to 86 in November, up from 44 in October. There was also a notable increase in cities with ‘Poor’ (91-120 μg/m³) air quality, rising from 5 in October to 50 in November, and 23 cities recorded ‘Very Poor’ (121-250 μg/m³) air quality, compared to none in the previous month.
Aizawl was the cleanest city in November 2024, followed by Chamarajanagar, Madikeri, Tirupur, Shivamogga, Thanjavur, Raichur, Ariyalur, Vijayapura, and Satna. The top 10 cleanest cities comprise five cities from Karnataka, three from Tamil Nadu, and one each from Mizoram and Madhya Pradesh.
To address the recurring air pollution issue, Manoj Kumar, Analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), said, ‘While stubble burning counts have decreased, the consistent and growing contribution from year-round sources highlights the urgent need for continuous, year-round mitigation strategies. These efforts must adopt an airshed level approach and be integrated into the NCAP framework. Additionally, proactive measures that actually reduce pollution at its source must be included under the GRAP and fully implemented to avoid a recurring air quality crisis’