Haryana’s Dharuhera Tops India’s Most Polluted Cities in October, Delhi Slips to Sixth
Haryana's Dharuhera tops India's pollution list in October; Delhi drops to sixth.
According to the Monthly Air Quality Snapshot released by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), Dharuhera in Haryana’s Rewari district emerged as India’s most polluted city in October 2025. It recorded an alarming average PM2.5 concentration of 123 µg/m³, far exceeding the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS), and registering ‘Severe’ and ‘Very Poor’ air quality on multiple days. Delhi, with an average PM2.5 level of 107 µg/m³, ranked sixth, trailing behind cities like Ghaziabad and Noida in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
The study highlighted a sharp decline in air quality, particularly across the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the National Capital Region (NCR), with Delhi’s levels tripling from an average of 36 µg/m³ in September to 107 µg/m³ in October. Despite stubble burning’s contribution being less than 6% to Delhi’s pollution, year-round emissions from vehicles, industries, construction, and other sources were identified as major drivers of deteriorating air quality. This underscores the need for sustainable, long-term solutions beyond seasonal interventions like the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
The top ten most polluted cities in October were dominated by those situated within the NCR, including Dharuhera, Rohtak, Ghaziabad, Noida, Ballabgarh, Bhiwadi, Greater Noida, Hapur, and Gurgaon. Four cities each from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh featured in the top rankings, pointing to a regional pollution crisis with serious health and environmental implications.
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Conversely, Shillong in Meghalaya was identified as India’s cleanest city with an average PM2.5 concentration of just 10 µg/m³. Other relatively clean cities spanned Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Sikkim, and Chhattisgarh. Among 249 cities assessed, 212 met India’s NAAQS of 60 µg/m³, yet only six cities complied with the World Health Organization’s much stricter daily guideline of 15 µg/m³. The proportion of cities classified under ‘Good’ air quality plummeted from 179 in September to 68 in October.
This worsening air pollution scenario calls for urgent, comprehensive policy measures and public awareness to mitigate emissions and protect public health, especially in the densely populated northern plains of India. Experts stress the importance of controlling all year-round pollution sources alongside targeted action during peak pollution seasons to improve the overall air quality index across the country.
