Meghalaya: Byrnihat Surpasses Delhi as India’s Most Polluted City in 2025

After a temporary respite, the industrial town of Byrnihat, straddling the Assam-Meghalaya border, has reclaimed its position as India’s most polluted urban centre, according to the latest assessment under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).

Data for 2025 reveals that Byrnihat recorded an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 100 micrograms per cubic metre — well above national standards and the highest in the country. Delhi followed closely in second place with 96 µg/m³, while Ghaziabad ranked third at 93 µg/m³. Other cities in the top rankings include Noida (fourth), Gurugram, Greater Noida, Bhiwadi, Hajipur, Muzaffarnagar, and Hapur.

This highly industrialised area, spanning approximately 49.5 square kilometres, hosts around 41 factories — including distilleries, iron and steel plants, cement units, and beverage manufacturing facilities — that release substantial amounts of particulate matter. Despite the alarming air quality levels, the region continues to suffer from the absence of a dedicated and effective pollution control authority, coupled with weak enforcement of environmental regulations.

A comprehensive analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), which examined satellite data on PM2.5 levels across 4,041 Indian cities, confirmed Byrnihat, Delhi, and Ghaziabad as among the worst-affected locations. The pollution in these areas is chronic and year-round, primarily driven by industrial emissions, vehicular exhaust, and other persistent sources.

The study further revealed that between 2019 and 2024 (excluding the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown year), at least 1,787 cities exceeded the national annual PM2.5 limits every year. Nearly 44% of Indian cities now fall into the category of chronic air pollution, underscoring a deep-rooted structural issue rather than temporary episodes.

Alarmingly, the NCAP — launched in 2019 to reduce pollution in the most affected areas through targeted interventions — currently covers only 130 cities. Of these, just 67 align with the persistently polluted cities identified in the analysis, meaning the programme addresses only about 4% of India’s chronically polluted urban centres.

CREA’s India analyst, Manoj Kumar, emphasised the urgency for more effective measures. “Improving air quality demands concrete, evidence-based actions,” he said. He advocated prioritising PM2.5 and related pollutants like sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide over PM10 alone, updating the list of non-attainment cities under NCAP, imposing stricter emission standards on industries and power plants, allocating funds according to pollution source profiles, and shifting to a regional airshed-based approach.

Under the NCAP and the 15th Finance Commission, a total of Rs 13,415 crore has been released so far, with 74% (Rs 9,929 crore) already utilised. However, experts argue that broader coverage, stronger enforcement, and science-driven strategies are essential to tackle India’s escalating urban air pollution crisis.

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