Dharuhera Tops India’s Most Polluted Cities List; Delhi Slips to Sixth as NCR Dominates Rankings

As winter sets in, the air quality across northern India has taken a sharp dive, with Dharuhera in Haryana emerging as the most polluted city in India for October, according to the Monthly Air Quality Snapshot released by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).

The report, based on data from the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System (CAAQMS), paints a worrying picture — pollution levels have worsened dramatically across the Indo-Gangetic Plain, particularly in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Delhi Among Top Polluted Cities

Delhi ranked sixth with an average PM2.5 concentration of 107 µg/m³, nearly three times higher than its September average of 36 µg/m³.
Despite stubble burning contributing less than 6% of Delhi’s PM2.5 in October, experts warn that persistent local emissions — from vehicles, industries, and construction — continue to choke the city’s air.

The study underlined that short-term emergency measures such as the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) are insufficient, calling for long-term, year-round strategies to address chronic air pollution.

Top 10 Most Polluted Cities (October 2025)

1. Dharuhera, Haryana — 123 µg/m³
2. Rohtak, Haryana
3. Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh
4. Noida, Uttar Pradesh
5. Ballabgarh, Haryana
6. Delhi
7. Bhiwadi, Rajasthan
8. Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh
9. Hapur, Uttar Pradesh
10. Gurugram, Haryana

Dharuhera breached the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) on 77% of the days, recording two ‘Severe’ and nine ‘Very Poor’ days during the month.

Cleanest Cities in India

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Shillong in Meghalaya recorded the cleanest air with an average PM2.5 concentration of 10 µg/m³.
Other clean cities included locations in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Sikkim, and Chhattisgarh, all meeting India’s air quality standards.

Out of 249 monitored cities, 212 recorded PM2.5 levels below the NAAQS limit of 60 µg/m³, but only six cities met the World Health Organization (WHO) daily safe guideline of 15 µg/m³.