Archive · 7 Dec 2025
India's Top 10 Polluted Cities in November 2023
In November 2023, Ghaziabad was the most polluted city in India, with very high levels of tiny pollution particles in the air.
Other cities like Noida, Delhi, and Meerut also had very bad air quality.
Delhi, which was the fourth most polluted, had many days with very poor air quality.
Even though there was less pollution from burning leftover crops, most cities still had air that was not safe to breathe every day.
Experts say that pollution from cars, factories, and power plants is a big problem and needs to be controlled better.
On the other hand, some states like Rajasthan and Haryana had many cities with bad air quality, while Shillong in Meghalaya had the cleanest air.
Ghaziabad was the most polluted city in India in November 2023, with a monthly average PM2.5 concentration of 224 micrograms per cubic meter.
Delhi ranked fourth with a monthly average PM2.5 concentration of 215 micrograms per cubic meter, experiencing 23 very poor days and 6 severe days.
Stubble burning contributed only 7% to Delhi's pollution in November 2023, down from 20% the previous year.
Uttar Pradesh had six of the top 10 most polluted cities, followed by Haryana with three and Delhi.
Shillong in Meghalaya was the cleanest city, with a monthly average PM2.5 concentration of 7 micrograms per cubic meter.
- Who
- Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA)
- What
- Analysis of air pollution levels in Indian cities for November 2023
- When
- November 2023
- Where
- India, particularly the National Capital Region (NCR) and other states
- Why
- To assess the impact of pollution sources and compliance with national air quality standards
Environmental Advocates
Industrial and Transportation Sectors
Pollution Control Measures
Environmental Advocates
Stronger regulations and enforcement are needed to reduce emissions from transport, industry, and power plants.
Industrial and Transportation Sectors
Balancing economic growth and environmental protection is crucial; immediate drastic cuts may harm industries.
- Most Polluted City
- Ghaziabad
- Monthly Average PM2.5 in Ghaziabad
- 224 micrograms per cubic meter
- Delhi's Rank
- 4th most polluted
- Delhi's Monthly Average PM2.5
- 215 micrograms per cubic meter
- Stubble Burning Contribution
- 7% in November 2023 (down from 20% in 2022)
- States with Most Polluted Cities
- Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh
- Cleanest City
- Shillong
- Cleanest Cities by State
- Karnataka (6), Meghalaya (1), Sikkim (1), Tamil Nadu (1), Kerala (1)