CREA report shows Delhi breached WHO air quality norms in just 10 days; calls for urgent multi-sectoral reforms to tackle nationwide crisis
New Delhi: 12 July 2025
In a stark revelation, Delhi has been ranked as India’s second most polluted city for the first half of 2025, according to a mid-year analysis released by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). The capital’s PM2.5 concentration averaged 87 µg/m³, double the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS), and far exceeding WHO’s annual limit, which Delhi surpassed as early as January 10.
In the first half of 2025, Delhi noted 29 days of ‘very poor’ air quality, 31 days of ‘poor’ air quality, and 3 days of ‘severe’ air quality. Delhi had only three days at the ‘good’ air quality level. While some measures were adopted in Delhi, such as the ban on end-of life vehicles, CREA reports that the pollution from coal-fired power plants, production industry emissions, and building/construction dust are unregulated. The report points out that only 2 of 11 power plants within 300 km of Delhi have installed mandatory flue gas desulfurization units.
Topping the list was Byrnihat, a town on the Assam-Meghalaya border, with a dangerous PM2.5 level of 133 µg/m³. Conversely, Aizawl (Mizoram) was noted as the cleanest Indian city at 8 µg/m³. Of the 293 cities, 259 were above the WHO PM2.5 limits, including many cities in Bihar and Odisha, indicating that air quality in the country is poor and a serious crisis. CREA, demands the government to update its stale 2009 air quality standards, broaden the scope of pollution control beyond transportation and agriculture, and needs to proactively develop a multi-sectoral and robust response to this ongoing and deepening environmental health emergency.
Also Read: Japan Sets New World Record with 1.02 Petabits-Per-Second Internet Speed
