Ghaziabad recorded the highest air pollution levels in India in November, with a monthly average PM2.5 concentration of 224 micrograms per cubic metre. Data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air showed that the city crossed national air quality limits on all 30 monitored days. Ghaziabad logged 19 very poor days, 10 severe days and one poor day.
Noida, Bahadurgarh, Delhi, Hapur, Greater Noida, Baghpat, Sonipat, Meerut and Rohtak joined Ghaziabad in the top 10 list. Six of these cities are in Uttar Pradesh, three are in Haryana and Delhi stands alone. Except Delhi, all other cities in the group recorded higher PM2.5 levels than last year.
Delhi ranked fourth with a monthly average of 215 micrograms per cubic metre. The air remained in the very poor range on 23 days and in the severe range on six days. The city recorded only one day in the poor category. Delhi’s average in November was almost double its October reading of 107 micrograms per cubic metre.
Manoj Kumar, analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, said the situation reflects sources beyond seasonal crop burning. “Despite a significant reduction in stubble-burning influence, 20 out of 29 NCR cities recorded higher pollution levels than the previous year and many still did not register a single day within NAAQS limits. This clearly indicates that the dominant drivers are year-round sources such as transport, industry, power plants and other combustion sources,” he said. Kumar added that the lack of focused emission cuts will lead to cities breaching standards again.
Top 10 Polluted Cities in India, 2025
| Rank | City | State/UT | Monthly Avg PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Days Above Safe Limit | Classification Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ghaziabad | Uttar Pradesh | 224 | 30 of 30 | 19 Very Poor, 10 Severe, 1 Poor |
| 2 | Noida | Uttar Pradesh | Data reported as above limit daily | 30 of 30 | Not specified |
| 3 | Bahadurgarh | Haryana | Data above limit except one day | 29 of 30 | Not specified |
| 4 | Delhi | Delhi | 215 | 29 of 30 | 23 Very Poor, 6 Severe, 1 Poor |
| 5 | Hapur | Uttar Pradesh | Above limit entire month | 30 of 30 | Not specified |
| 6 | Greater Noida | Uttar Pradesh | Above limit entire month | 30 of 30 | Not specified |
| 7 | Baghpat | Uttar Pradesh | Above limit entire month | 30 of 30 | Not specified |
| 8 | Sonipat | Haryana | Above limit entire month | 30 of 30 | Not specified |
| 9 | Meerut | Uttar Pradesh | Above limit entire month | 30 of 30 | Not specified |
| 10 | Rohtak | Haryana | Above limit entire month | 30 of 30 | Not specified |
Stubble smoke influence over Delhi was lower this year. The report said stubble burning contributed an average of 7 per cent to Delhi’s particulate load, down from 20 per cent last year. The peak impact reached 22 per cent in November, compared to 38 per cent last year. Field readings showed more days in the low-impact range as farm fire cases declined in Punjab and Haryana during the second half of the month.
Officials tracking the Decision Support System data confirmed the drop. The table shared in the analysis showed that the number of days with less than 10 per cent contribution increased, while the number of days with more than 30 per cent contribution dropped to zero.
No Clean Day Recorded
Except Bahadurgarh, none of the top 10 cities recorded a single day under the safe daily limit set by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Bahadurgarh recorded one day outside the polluted range, while the rest stayed above the threshold throughout the month.
Cities around NCR continued to report unsafe levels each day. These included Charkhi Dadri, Bulandshahr, Jind, Muzaffarnagar, Gurugram, Khurja, Bhiwani, Karnal, Yamunanagar and Faridabad. The readings point to sustained emissions from traffic, brick kilns, coal use and construction dust.
The report also tracked the spread of poor air beyond NCR. Rajasthan recorded 23 of its 34 monitored cities above the safety limit. Haryana had 22 out of 25 cities above the standard. Uttar Pradesh followed with 14 out of 20 cities above the set limit.
Readings in other states also showed high levels. Nine of 12 cities in Madhya Pradesh crossed limits. Nine of 14 in Odisha and seven of eight in Punjab did the same. The data reflects an expansion of particulate pollution beyond Delhi and nearby states.
Cleanest Cities Stand Out
Shillong in Meghalaya recorded the lowest average particulate level in November at 7 micrograms per cubic metre. The list of cleanest cities featured six from Karnataka and one each from Meghalaya, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. These cities remained under the national limit throughout the month.
Local doctors in Shillong said they continued routine cases without the seasonal spike seen in northern states. Dr. Helen Marbaniang, a pulmonologist at Civil Hospital Shillong, said they did not see pressure on respiratory wards. “We receive normal winter cases but nothing beyond that. We are aware of the severe conditions in the north and continue to track advisories for travellers,” she said.
The November analysis covered 255 cities with more than 80 per cent monitoring data. Only 114 of these met India’s daily limit of 60 micrograms per cubic metre. The stricter World Health Organization guideline of 15 micrograms per cubic metre saw compliance in only two cities.
Among 99 cities under the National Clean Air Programme with complete data, 46 exceeded the national daily limit, while all exceeded the WHO guideline. Out of 156 non-NCAP cities, 154 crossed the WHO daily benchmark and 68 crossed the national limit.
Pollution Categories Shift
Cities dropped sharply in the good category between October and November. The group fell from 68 to 26. The satisfactory category declined from 144 to 115. In contrast, the moderate category rose from 27 to 73 and the poor category rose from 9 to 19. The very poor category jumped from one to 22, reflecting wider winter buildup.
CREA said it will continue tracking pollutant levels through December and January. Kumar said the data points to the need for structural controls. “Without sector-specific emission cuts, cities will continue to breach standards,” he said.
Local administrations have announced stricter checks on diesel trucks, construction dust and roadside waste burning for December. NCR traffic police units have been asked to enforce road controls during high smog alerts. The air monitoring network will continue daily readings to measure any further rise.
