By Harshit
October 23, 2025
Delhi, often leading India’s severe AQI charts, saw its worst air in winter 2024–25, with average PM2.5 levels around 159 µg/m³ and frequent “severe” days caused by stubble burning, vehicle emissions,
Ghaziabad ranks among the NCR’s most polluted hotspots, dominated by PM2.5 levels from heavy traffic and construction dust spilling over from the capital region.
Greater Noida and Noida consistently rank among the NCR’s top-ten most polluted areas, mirroring Delhi’s winter smog patterns and cross-boundary emissions.
Gurgaon’s office clusters and expressways contribute major tailpipe emissions, while construction dust and seasonal smoke push its AQI into “very poor” to “severe” levels during peak months.
Faridabad’s industrial activity, traffic emissions, and regional biomass burning combine to cause persistent PM2.5 exceedances, worsened by stagnant winter air.