Don’t let Hyderabad choke like Delhi: PM2.5 up 15% since 2011; vehicles, industry and waste burning drive pollution

HYDERABAD: Hyderabad's air has been worsening for years, but fresh data now lays bare just how sharply the city's pollution burden has intensified.

A new study by Development Data Labs shows that Hyderabad ranks third among 10 Indian cities that witnessed an increase in PM2.5 concentration between 2011 and 2022, with levels rising by 15.4% over the decade. The city trails Surat, which saw a 24.5% increase, and Pune at 32.2%.


Out of the 10 cities, only four—Kozhikode (5.2%), Kolkata (8.3%), Chennai (13.2%) and Delhi (30.1%)—recorded a decline in PM2.5 during this period. Hyderabad, meanwhile, continues to slide deeper into a pollution spiral.

"What is particularly worrying is that the deterioration has continued over the years. Multiple datasets indicate that pollution levels, both PM2.5 and PM10, have continued to rise, pushing the city closer to a full-blown public health and ecological emergency," said B V Subba Rao, an environmentalist.
Pollution peaks higher every year

Data compiled by TOI from the Pollution Control Board paints a bleak picture. PM2.5 concentrations have surged to 176 this year, compared to around 140 during the same winter period last year. PM10 levels have climbed to 185, up from nearly 150 in the winter of 2024.

The highest concentrations were recorded in Sanathnagar, Gachibowli and the Old City—areas that have repeatedly featured among Hyderabad's most polluted zones.

The scale of the crisis becomes clearer when benchmarked against global standards. PM2.5 levels in Hyderabad are now as much as 35 times higher than the World Health Organization's (WHO) permissible annual limit of 5 µg/m³. PM10 levels, meanwhile, are up to 37 times higher than recommended thresholds.

The breach is not seasonal; it is persistent. PM2.5 concentrations exceed the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) from January to April, and again from November to December. PM10 levels fare no better, crossing limits for most of the year, leaving residents with barely any clean-air windows.

Thousands of lives lost to toxic air

Behind these numbers lies a devastating human toll. Between 2008 and 2020, Hyderabad recorded an average of 5,552 deaths every year attributable to air pollution. In 2023 alone, the city reported 1,597 pollution-related deaths, ranking it the sixth deadliest city in India for air pollution fatalities.

A study published in Lancet Planetary Health, titled ‘Ambient air pollution and daily mortality in ten cities of India: a causal modelling study', identified PM2.5 as the primary pollutant driving mortality.

"Air pollution levels in many parts of India routinely exceed WHO guidelines for safe exposure and even exceed India's own less stringent ambient air quality standards," the report stated. Another report, the Air Quality Life Index, noted that Hyderabad's pollution levels are leading to a decrease of 3.2 years in life expectancy.

Vehicles remain Hyderabad's biggest polluters

Environmentalists argue that at the heart of Hyderabad's pollution problem lies its ever-growing vehicle population. Official data show that the city's daily vehicular pollution load stands at 1,500 tonnes, accounting for nearly one-third of total air pollution.

More than 56% of this load comes from two-wheelers, followed by trucks and four-wheelers. With over 80 lakh vehicles plying the roads, emissions of particulate matter, nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide have become routine rather than exceptional.

Environmental researcher Narsimha Reddy Donthi, who has studied urban pollution patterns for over three decades, says traffic congestion is a silent but constant contributor.

"Hyderabad's traffic rarely flows; it idles," he said. "Every signal cycle, thousands of vehicles inch forward. Idling engines emit carbon monoxide and fine particulates that accumulate hour after hour."

NO₂ and ozone: invisible pollutants choking the city

Vehicular emissions also drive alarming levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂). A report titled Beyond North: NO₂ Pollution and Health Risks in Seven Major Indian Cities found that Hyderabad recorded dangerously high NO₂ levels on 307 out of 365 days in 2023—more than Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata.

Among monitoring stations, Gachibowli recorded the highest average NO₂ concentration at 41 parts per billion (ppb), followed by Old City (23 ppb), Bolarum (22 ppb) and Sanathnagar. All far exceed the WHO's safe limit of 10 ppb.

Donthi noted that nearly 80% of the city's NO₂ emissions come from diesel-run buses, three-wheelers and ageing petrol vehicles.

Ground-level ozone presents another serious risk. A Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) report found that 10 out of 14 air quality monitoring stations in Hyderabad recorded ozone levels beyond WHO's safe limit between January and July 2024. The highest eight-hour average—150.9 µg/m³—was recorded in the residential neighbourhood of Sanathnagar, followed by ICRISAT Patancheru (145.9 µg/m³) and ECIL Kapra (140.8 µg/m³).

Industrial belts, burning waste add to distress

Industrial pollution remains another persistent concern. Hyderabad houses over 2,000 pharmaceutical, chemical, biotechnology and bulk drug units, concentrated across Patancheru, Bollaram, Pashamylaram, Nacharam and Jeedimetla.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board's 2021 survey, 91 industries fall under the ‘Red' category, the most hazardous classification, while many units remain unsurveyed.

"The issue is longstanding," said S Jayant Sathe, a resident of Pashamylaram. "For years, we've been inhaling harmful gas. In every house, you'll find cases of miscarriage, disabled children or deaths due to lung issues."

Residents also point to rampant garbage burning, often due to irregular waste collection.

"Many times, we've seen municipal workers burning waste in open grounds. Every morning, we wake up to thick smog," said Shravani Mujumdar, a retired bank official from Sanathnagar.

NCAP: funds unspent, targets unmet

Despite being designated a non-attainment city under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), Hyderabad spent only Rs 11.19 crore of its Rs 20 crore allocation in 2024.

The action plan, prepared by agencies including GHMC, TGPCB, HMDA and HMWSSB, outlined measures such as relocating polluting industries, reducing road dust and easing congestion. Yet, most initiatives were either poorly implemented or abandoned, leaving PM2.5 levels stuck between 80–120 µg/m³ and PM10 between 100–150 µg/m³ over the last three years.

Environmentalists argue that the guidelines themselves are flawed. Ecologist B N Sai Reddy said measures like end-to-end paving and mechanical sweeping may be worsening other urban problems.

"Even these higher limits are proven to reduce life expectancy," he said.

Admitting that NCAP has failed to deliver, GHMC has now constituted a City Level Monitoring and Implementation Committee (CLMIC) to rework Hyderabad's clean-air strategy. Officials identified four chronic pollution corridors—Punjagutta–Patancheru, Charminar–Nampally, Hi-Tech City and MGBS–Secunderabad.

Plans include deploying electric buses, expanding electric three-wheelers, enforcing pollution-under-control norms and tightening construction waste management. However, experts warn that without strict enforcement, these measures risk becoming yet another paper exercise.

Calling for a multifaceted response, Rahul Goel, an air quality researcher from IIT Delhi, emphasised the need to overhaul public transport, promote non-motorised mobility, and enforce stricter vehicle and fuel regulations.

"Policy alone isn't enough without enforcement," he said. "If we crack down on violators and ensure existing laws are followed, we can begin to reverse this dangerous trend."

Another IIT Delhi researcher, Deepti Jain, stressed the need for long-term strategies. "We focus on preventive advisories, like keeping children indoors, but that doesn't solve the problem. We need to focus on sources of pollution and how we will deal with them in the coming years," she said.


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