📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Janak Bhatta
Health
Delhi Missing from Latest List of India's Top 10 Most Polluted Cities
✍️ Jagran Josh
🗓 12 Nov 2026, 01:36 PM
👁 9
A new ranking released today shows Delhi absent from the list of India's ten most polluted cities, sparking questions about the effectiveness of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
The latest air‑quality assessment, published by a national monitoring agency, has identified ten Indian cities with the highest levels of particulate matter this year. Surprisingly, the capital, Delhi, does not appear on the list, despite its long‑standing reputation for severe smog.
Analysts attribute Delhi's omission to recent improvements in emissions control, including stricter vehicle norms and the phased shutdown of older coal‑fired power units. However, environmental groups caution that short‑term gains may mask persistent hotspots in the city’s peripheral zones.
The report also revisits the three‑stage Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) introduced in 2017, which mandates progressive restrictions on industrial activity, construction, and traffic based on pollution thresholds. While the plan appears to have contributed to lower readings in several metros, experts say a comprehensive evaluation is still pending.
Officials from the Ministry of Environment have pledged to monitor trends closely and to adjust GRAP measures if pollution spikes recur. The new ranking will be updated quarterly, providing a continuous benchmark for policymakers and the public.
Overall, the absence of Delhi from the top‑ten list underscores a tentative shift in India’s air‑quality landscape, but sustained effort will be essential to ensure the capital’s air becomes consistently cleaner.
Analysts attribute Delhi's omission to recent improvements in emissions control, including stricter vehicle norms and the phased shutdown of older coal‑fired power units. However, environmental groups caution that short‑term gains may mask persistent hotspots in the city’s peripheral zones.
The report also revisits the three‑stage Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) introduced in 2017, which mandates progressive restrictions on industrial activity, construction, and traffic based on pollution thresholds. While the plan appears to have contributed to lower readings in several metros, experts say a comprehensive evaluation is still pending.
Officials from the Ministry of Environment have pledged to monitor trends closely and to adjust GRAP measures if pollution spikes recur. The new ranking will be updated quarterly, providing a continuous benchmark for policymakers and the public.
Overall, the absence of Delhi from the top‑ten list underscores a tentative shift in India’s air‑quality landscape, but sustained effort will be essential to ensure the capital’s air becomes consistently cleaner.