Gurugram tops India's pollution chart in March, says report

Gurugram has been ranked the most polluted city in India for March 2026, according to a report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, underlining a deepening air quality crisis in Haryana.

The report notes that Haryana accounted for four of the country’s 10 most polluted cities during the month, highlighting the widespread nature of pollution in the state.

Gurugram recorded a monthly average PM2.5 level of 116 µg/m³, placing it at the top of the national pollution chart. Data further showed that nine of Haryana’s 24 monitored cities exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).

Apart from Gurugram, other cities from the state featuring in the top 10 include Bahadurgarh, Faridabad and Manesar. The list also includes Singrauli and Mandideep in Madhya Pradesh, Ghaziabad and Noida in Uttar Pradesh, Bhiwadi in Rajasthan and Nandesari in Gujarat.

While Gurugram topped the charts for March, the report noted that Ghaziabad remained the most polluted city overall for the entire 2025-26 financial year.

The findings come against the backdrop of persistently poor air quality in the region. In 2025, both Gurugram and Faridabad frequently figured among India’s most polluted cities. Earlier trends indicated that while Faridabad often recorded higher PM2.5 levels, Gurugram consistently reported elevated PM10 concentrations, largely attributed to construction activity and road dust.

However, the latest data indicates a sharp spike in PM2.5 levels in Gurugram, pushing it to the top position once again.

The CREA analysis also reviewed the progress of the National Clean Air Programme seven years after its launch, and found mixed results across cities.

Dehradun recorded the highest reduction in PM10 levels — about 75% compared to the 2017-18 baseline — while Delhi saw a modest 17% decline. In contrast, Visakhapatnam registered the highest increase in pollution levels at 73%. Several cities in Odisha and Madhya Pradesh also reported rising PM10 levels, while nine cities in Uttar Pradesh recorded reductions exceeding 40%.