GURGAON: Ghaziabad was India's most polluted city during the last winter, followed by Noida and Delhi, according to a new analysis by Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). During this period, Ghaziabad recorded an average PM2.5 concentration of 172 micrograms per cubic metre, far above the national daily ambient air quality standard of 60 micrograms per cubic metre. Noida reported an average PM2.5 level of 166 micrograms per cubic metre.
Delhi ranked third, with an average PM2.5 concentration of 163 micrograms per cubic metre. Based on average PM2.5 levels, the capital saw 18 ‘severe' days, 87 ‘very poor' days, 24 ‘poor' days, 15 ‘moderate' days, six ‘satisfactory days, and just one day in the ‘good' category.
Gurgaon ranked seventh among India's 10 most-polluted cities in this winter, with PM2.5 levels exceeding three times the national safety standard, according to an analysis by Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).
Four cities each from UP and Haryana ranked among the 10 most polluted, while Rajasthan had one city on the list, underscoring concentration of severe winter pollution across NCR.
Using data from Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) for Oct 1, 2025 to Feb 28, 2026, the analysis reported a winter average PM2.5 concentration of 138 µg/m³ in Gurgaon, well above India's National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) of 40 µg/m³.
Of the 151 days assessed, the city's PM2.5 levels surpassed the national standard on 144 days, showing that air pollution remained above permissible limits for most of the season.
The city recorded 31 ‘very poor' days and three ‘severe' days during the winter. It also saw 11 ‘moderate' days, four ‘satisfactory' days, and only three ‘good' air quality days, indicating sustained exposure to unhealthy air.
State-wise figures showed multiple Haryana cities with elevated winter averages. Bahadurgarh (146 µg/m³), Dharuhera (139 µg/m³), Sonipat (122 µg/m³), Manesar (121 µg/m³), Rohtak (109 µg/m³), and Ballabgarh (104 µg/m³). Faridabad averaged 91 µg/m³, while Karnal (87 µg/m³), Kurukshetra (84 µg/m³), Panchkula (79 µg/m³), Fatehabad (76 µg/m³), and Ambala (71 µg/m³) also remained well above the national limit.
Nationwide, 204 of 238 cities analysed recorded winter average PM2.5 levels above the national standard, up from 173 during the winter. No city met the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline of 5 µg/m³.
Across India, winter averages placed 19 cities in the ‘good' category, 129 in ‘satisfactory', and 65 in ‘moderate'. Another 13 cities recorded ‘poor' air quality, and 12 fell into the ‘very poor' category.
"The comparison between the last two winters shows that widespread non-compliance continues, with more cities breaching the national standard in winter 2025–26 than in the previous winter," said Manoj Kumar, India analyst at CREA.
He said while Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has set PM2.5 reduction targets for NCR, similar nationwide targets are needed, along with stronger controls on sulphur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which contribute to secondary particulate pollution.
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