Meghalaya's Byrnihat overtakes Delhi as India’s most polluted city: NCAP report
Guwahati: Meghalaya's Byrnihat has re-emerged as India’s most polluted city, surpassing Delhi and other parts of the National Capital Region, even as the industrial hub continues to operate without a robust pollution control mechanism or strict enforcement, according to the latest National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) assessment.
Data for 2025 showed Byrnihat recorded an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 100 micrograms per cubic metre, the highest in the country. Delhi followed with 96 micrograms, while Ghaziabad reported 93. Noida ranked fourth. Other cities with severe air pollution levels included Gurugram, Greater Noida, Bhiwadi, Hajipur, Muzaffarnagar and Hapur.
The report highlighted that Byrnihat hosts several pollution-intensive industries, including distilleries, iron and steel units, cement plants and beverage factories. Spread over about 49.5 square kilometres, the industrial belt houses nearly 41 factories that emit large quantities of particulate matter.
The analysis raised concerns over the limited reach of NCAP, noting that only around four per cent of India’s chronically polluted cities currently fall under the programme. Although NCAP, launched in 2019, seeks to reduce air pollution through targeted interventions in severely affected areas, it presently covers just 130 cities nationwide. Of these, only 67 overlap with cities identified as persistently polluted in the study, while nearly 44 per cent of Indian cities continue to experience long-term air quality deterioration.
A separate analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), which examined PM2.5 concentrations across 4,041 cities using satellite data, also identified Byrnihat, Delhi and Ghaziabad among the most polluted urban centres. The study noted that pollution in these cities remains consistently high throughout the year, driven largely by emissions from vehicles, industries and other sources.
The report found that PM2.5 levels breached prescribed limits in at least 1,787 cities every year between 2019 and 2024, excluding 2020 due to COVID-19 lockdown-related disruptions. Overall, about 44 per cent of Indian cities fall under the category of “chronic air pollution”.
Manoj Kumar, India analyst at CREA, said improving air quality requires evidence-based and targeted action. He emphasised the need to prioritise PM2.5 and associated pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide instead of focusing only on PM10.
Kumar also called for revising the list of non-attainment cities under NCAP, enforcing tighter emission standards for industries and power plants, allocating funds based on pollution sources, and adopting a regional airshed-based approach. Under NCAP and the 15th Finance Commission, the government has released Rs 13,415 crore so far, of which 74 per cent, or Rs 9,929 crore, has already been utilised.