Ghaziabad emerges as India’s most polluted city this winter as air pollution in northern India, including Delhi and the cities around it, got out of hand in the winter of 2025–26. Data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air tracked pollution between October 2025 and February 2026, and Ghaziabad ended up with the highest levels in the country, and Noida and Delhi weren’t far behind. Honestly, the air-quality crisis in the National Capital Region just keeps getting worse.

Why Did Ghaziabad Top the List of India’s Most Polluted Cities?

Air quality data collected from Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) installed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) found that Ghaziabad had the highest average concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) during the winter season.

Key Findings of the Report:

• Highest PM2.5 Concentration: The average concentration of PM2.5 in the air of Ghaziabad was found to be 172 µg/m³, almost three times the national average of 60 µg/m³.
• Other Highly Polluted Cities: The second most polluted city in the list was Noida, followed by Delhi. The average concentration of PM2.5 in the air of Noida and Delhi was found to be 166 µg/m³ and 163 µg/m³, respectively.
• Major NCR Presence in the Top 10 List of Polluted Cities: Other major NCR cities like Greater Noida, Bahadurgarh, Dharuhera, Gurugram, Bhiwadi, Charkhi Dadri, and Baghpat also found a place among the top 10 polluted cities.
• Regional Concentration of Polluting Cities: Four cities of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana found a place among the top 10 polluted cities.

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How Severe Was Winter Pollution Across India?

According to the CREA study, air pollution in winter is not just an issue in a handful of cities; it is a national issue as well. Of the 238 cities in India with sufficient monitoring data, 204 of them exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for PM2.5 during the winter of 2025-2026, a large jump from the 173 cities that exceeded the limit the winter before (indicating that conditions are getting worse).

Winter conditions in Delhi alone give clear examples of how bad the pollution episode was over the course of the winter. Delhi had 18 days classified as having very severe air quality, 87 days with very poor air quality, and 24 days of poor air quality; only one day during the entire winter was classified as good.

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What are the Key Reasons Behind Rising Pollution in NCR?

Experts believe that the worsening air quality in the NCR region is due to a combination of seasonal and structural factors. For instance, during the winter season, the drop in temperatures and the reduced wind speeds cause pollution levels to remain high in the region, resulting in the formation of thick smog in the cities of Ghaziabad, Noida, and Delhi.

Ultimately, the findings highlight the need to tackle the problem of pollution in the NCR region as Ghaziabad emerges as India’s most polluted city this winter, followed by Noida and Delhi.

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