Delhi Ranked 2nd Most Polluted City in India for January 2026, Ghaziabad Tops List

January 2026 Air Quality Crisis: Delhi and Ghaziabad Top India's Polluted Cities List

A monthly analysis for January 2026 by the  Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA)  has ranked  Delhi as the second most polluted city in India , with  Ghaziabad topping the list . The report underscores the persistent and severe winter air pollution crisis in North India, highlighting widespread non-compliance with both national and international air quality standards.

Severe PM2.5 Levels in the National Capital Region
Delhi recorded a monthly average PM2.5 concentration of 169 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³) , which is nearly  three times higher than India's National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) annual limit of 60 µg/m³ . The situation was even more critical in  Ghaziabad , which emerged as the country's most polluted city with an average of  184 µg/m³ , breaching the daily national standard on all 31 days of January.

Consistently Hazardous Air Quality in Delhi
According to the CREA analysis, Delhi's air quality remained dangerously poor throughout the month. The city experienced:

• 24 days  classified as  'Very Poor'  (AQI 301-400)

• 3 days  in the  'Severe'  category (AQI above 400)

• Only  2 days  with  'Moderate'  air quality
  This pattern indicates prolonged exposure to hazardous pollution levels for residents, posing serious public health risks.

Widespread National Non-Compliance and Policy Gaps
The report revealed a grim national picture, with  123 out of 248 monitored cities across India  recording PM2.5 levels above the national standard. Critically,  no city met the World Health Organization's (WHO) stringent daily safe guideline of 15 µg/m³ . The analysis pointed to significant shortcomings in the  National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) , noting that air quality in most cities covered under the program remained non-compliant. CREA analysts emphasized the urgent need to refocus NCAP on directly targeting  PM2.5 and its precursor gases (like SO₂ and NO₂) , adopting stricter industrial emission norms, and shifting towards an integrated  airshed-based management approach  for the Indo-Gangetic Plain.

Exam-Focused Important Facts:

• Ranking:   Ghaziabad (1st)  and  Delhi (2nd)  were the most polluted Indian cities in January 2026.

• Key Pollutant:   PM2.5  (fine particulate matter).

• Standards:   India's NAAQS annual limit is 60 µg/m³ ; the  WHO daily guideline is 15 µg/m³ .

• Health Impact:  PM2.5 can enter the bloodstream and affect multiple organs.

• Government Program:   National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)  aims to reduce pollution in non-attainment cities.