Gurgaon Tops the List of India’s Most Polluted Cities in March 2026

Air pollution continues to be a serious problem in India, and a new report has brought fresh concerns. According to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), Gurgaon was the most polluted city in the country in March, showing how dangerous air quality levels remains in many regions.

Gurgaon Becomes Most Polluted City in March

The report stated that Gurgaon recorded the highest pollution level in March, with an average PM2.5 level of 116 µg/m³. This level is much higher than the safe limit and can harm people’s health, especially children and the early.

Haryana Leads in Number of Polluted Cities

Haryana has four cities among the top 10 most polluted cities in India. These include Bahadurgarh, Faridabad, Gurgaon and Manesar. This shows that air pollution is a major issue among the state.

Other cities in the top 10 list were Singrauli, Mandideep, Ghaziabad, Bhiwadi, Noida and Nandesari, coming from different states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Ghaziabad Most Polluted for the Full Year

While Gurgaon topped the list for March, Ghaziabad was found to be the most polluted city for the entire financial year 2025-26. This indicates that pollution is not just seasonal but a long-term problem in many cities.

Many Cities Not Meeting Air Quality Standards

The report also revealed that many cities are not able to meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Haryana had the highest number of such cities, with 9 out of 24 cities crossing the safe pollution limit. Uttar Pradesh followed with 8 out of 21 cities failing to meet the standards.

Limited Success of Clean Air Programme

India’s National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), launched to reduce pollution levels, has shown mixed results. After seven years, only a few cities have successfully reduced their pollution levels as per the targets.

Some cities, especially in Uttar Pradesh, have shown good improvement, with nine cities reducing PM10 levels by over 40%. Other states like Maharashtra, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Rajasthan also reported improvements in a few cities.

Pollution Increasing in Some Areas

On the other hand, some states have seen a rise in pollution levels. Odisha had the highest number of cities with increased PM10 levels, followed by Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. A few cities in Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu also showed rising pollution.

Cities Showing Best and Worst Changes

Dehradun recorded the biggest improvement, reducing its PM10 levels by 75% compared to 2017-18. In contrast, Visakhapatnam saw the highest increase in pollution, with a 73% rise. Delhi managed to reduce its PM10 levels by 17%, showing some progress.

Experts Call for Stronger Action

Experts believe that more serious and science-based steps are needed to control pollution. They suggest focusing on the main sources of pollution in each region and taking strict action.

They also recommend expanding the NCAP to include more polluted cities, using a regional approach, and enforcing stricter rules to control emissions.