New Delhi: Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the most polluted city in India, surpassing Delhi, Meerut and Bengaluru, according to a report released by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). The report highlights that Ghaziabad’s air quality levels are worse than those in Delhi, where pollution frequently disrupts daily life.
Delhi placed fourth on the list of most polluted cities, following Ghaziabad at the top, Noida in Haryana in second place, and Bahadurgarh in third. Overall, six of the top ten most polluted cities are in Uttar Pradesh, while three are located in Haryana. Noida (second), Bahadurgarh (third) and Greater Noida (sixth) feature among the most affected Haryana cities.
Uttar Pradesh cities listed in the top ten include Ghaziabad, Hapur, Sonipat, Meerut and Rohtak. Throughout November, the average air quality in these cities remained above the national permissible limits. The PM2.5 concentration was recorded at 224 micrograms per cubic metre, staying beyond national safety standards for all 30 days.
Delhi recorded a PM2.5 level of 215 micrograms per cubic metre in November — nearly double its October reading. Rajasthan reported the highest number of severely polluted cities, with 34 out of 43 exceeding the national average pollution levels.
In contrast, Kerala appeared in the list of clean cities, with Thiruvananthapuram securing a place among the top ten least polluted urban areas in the country. Six of the ten cleanest cities are from Karnataka. Thiruvananthapuram ranked seventh among them. Shillong in Meghalaya topped the clean city rankings, followed by Gangtok in Sikkim, Koppal and Chamarajanagar in Karnataka, Palakkaliperur in Tamil Nadu, and Shivamogga in Karnataka.
The report notes that Shillong’s PM2.5 average is just 7 micrograms per cubic metre, while Thiruvananthapuram recorded 20 micrograms per cubic metre — among the lowest in India.