India's major cities remain trapped in toxic air

The analysis of Air Quality Index (AQI) data across major Indian cities from 2015 to November 2025 shows that none of the top urban centres in India can be considered safe in terms of air quality.

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Although the degree of pollution varies from city to city and some improvement is visible in certain locations in recent years, all assessed cities consistently fall within ranges that indicate moderate to hazardous pollution levels, with some cities routinely breaching recommended safe limits. Delhi remains the most polluted city throughout, maintaining persistently high AQI values from peaks above 250 (2016) to levels still near 180 in 2025. While there is minor year-to-year fluctuation, the city never approaches safe thresholds and continues to experience chronic poor air quality driven by vehicular emissions, industrial activity, seasonal crop burning, and geographic factors.

Lucknow, Varanasi, Ahmedabad, and Pune also show prolonged periods of elevated AQI. Lucknow and Varanasi started with extremely high levels (often above 200), and although both cities show steady improvement after 2019, their 2025 AQI values remain above healthy limits. Ahmedabad shows a similar pattern, with AQI reductions after 2017 but still hovering around 100-120 for most years. Kolkata, Chennai, Chandigarh, Visakhapatnam, and Mumbai present moderate AQI values compared to northern cities but still fail to reach consistently safe levels. Some cities like Chennai and Mumbai show notable improvement after 2020, reflecting the impact of regulatory measures, better fuel standards, and reduced industrial activity during the pandemic years. However, even these cities show regular oscillations, indicating ongoing pollution pressures. Bengaluru shows the lowest AQI values among the listed cities, remaining largely between 65 and 90. Yet even these levels exceed what would be considered 'good' air quality, showing that no major metro escapes pollution concerns.