Winter pollution crisis in megacities of India: Going beyond Delhi Delhi-NCR

March 18, 2025

The new analysis by the Urban Lab at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) underscores the persistent challenge of winter air pollution in Delhi-NCR. While Delhi saw a slight increase in its seasonal PM2.5 levels this winter, the wider NCR region recorded a notable decline in pollution levels.

Delhi’s average winter PM2.5 concentration stood at 174 µg/m³, a marginal 1 per cent rise from the previous three winters. In contrast, NCR cities experienced a significant improvement, with seasonal PM2.5 levels dropping to 109 µg/m³—marking a 24 per cent reduction compared to previous winters. Despite this seasonal variation, pollution peaks remained a concern, with Gwal Pahari in Gurugram recording the highest daily PM2.5 peak at 592 µg/m³.