Delhi recorded the highest annual average PM10 concentration in the country in 2025 at 197 micrograms per cubic metre, nearly three times higher than the national standard of 60 micrograms per cubic metre, according to an analysis.
The capital exceeded the PM10 standard on 285 days during the year, the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) said in its analysis.
On finer particles, Delhi was the second most polluted city in India for PM2.5 in 2025, with an annual average concentration of 96 micrograms per cubic metre, almost twice the national standard of 40 micrograms per cubic metre.
Delhi exceeded the daily PM2.5 standard on 212 days in 2025, the report said, indicating prolonged exposure to hazardous air.
The analysis said PM2.5 levels remain high across the National Capital Region, with 12 out of 14 NCR cities breaching the PM2.5 standard.
On funding, CREA said Rs 13,415 crore has been released under the National Clean Air Programme and Fifteenth Finance Commission grants so far, of which Rs 9,929 crore, or 74 per cent, has been utilised.
Delhi was among the weakest performers in utilisation of clean air funds, with only 33 per cent of the allocated amount spent, the report said.
Meanwhile, Delhi was among the cities that have completed a source apportionment study, the report said.
The report concluded that seven years into the NCAP, cities including Delhi remain far from meeting air quality standards, and the programme’s intended 40 per cent PM10 reduction target is no longer achievable within its current time frame.
It called for a shift in focus towards PM2.5, stricter emission controls and a regional airshed-based approach to tackle air pollution in Delhi and surrounding areas.
The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) was launched by the Centre in 2019 to improve air quality in 130 non-attainment and million-plus cities, with a focus on reducing particulate pollution.
The programme initially targeted a 20-30 per cent reduction in PM10 levels by 2024-25 compared to 2017-18 levels, which was later revised to a 40 per cent reduction or meeting national standards by 2025-26, through city-specific action plans and coordinated funding support.
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