Despite dip in stubble burning, air quality worsened in Nov

Even as stubble-burning smoke eased this winter, air quality in Delhi-NCR deteriorated in November, according to a snapshot released by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).

As per CERA, the stubble burning contributed an average of just 7 per cent to Delhi’s PM2.5 levels in November, down from 20 per cent last year.

Yet 20 of 29 cities in the National Capital Region (NCR) recorded higher pollution levels than in 2024 and 19 cities exceeded the PM2.5 standard on all 30 days of the month, it added.

The CREA analysis is based on real-time PM2.5 data from Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS).

PM2.5 refers to fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometres, small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, making it one of the most hazardous air pollutants.

Delhi ranked fourth among the most polluted cities, with a monthly average PM2.5 concentration of 215 µg/m³ in November, double its October average of 107 µg/m³.

The data also shows a sharp decline in the share of stubble-burning emissions — from 20 per cent last year to 7 per cent this November and even the peak influence, at 20 per cent, was far below last year’s peak of 38 per cent.

“Despite a significant reduction in stubble-burning influence, 20 out of 29 NCR cities recorded higher pollution levels than the previous year and many still did not register a single day within NAAQS limits. This clearly indicates that the dominant drivers are year-round sources such as transport, industry, power plants and other combustion sources. Without sector-specific emission cuts, cities will continue to breach standards,” said Manoj Kumar, an analyst at CREA.

Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh was the most polluted city in India in November, with a monthly average PM2.5 concentration of 224 µg/m³, breaching the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) every day.

The NAAQS for PM2.5 is 60 µg/m³ for the daily average and 40 µg/m³ annually. Ghaziabad was among 113 out of 255 monitored cities that violated the national PM2.5 limit throughout the month.

Other highly polluted cities included Noida, Bahadurgarh, Delhi, Hapur, Greater Noida, Baghpat, Sonepat, Meerut and Rohtak. Nine of the top 10 cities, excluding Delhi, recorded higher PM2.5 levels than in November last year.

Uttar Pradesh accounted for six of the 10 most polluted cities, while three were in Haryana. Several cities, including Gurugram, Faridabad, Muzaffarnagar, Bulandshahr, Bhiwani, Karnal and Yamunanagar, remained above the national PM2.5 standard every day in November.