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Cse In News

Not Just Delhi: Data Reveals New Pollution Hotspots Emerging Across India

Every winter, Delhi takes the spotlight for its toxic air and dangerously poor AQI, but zoom out, and you'll find that several parts of India, especially across the north, are not far behind. Recent studies have identified severe air pollution hotspots and airsheds in cities and districts across Assam, Bihar, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Rajasthan, and West Bengal. Experts tell The Quint that although mitigation policies exist on paper, they are poorly implemented on the ground, with almost no monitoring systems to ensure compliance. While Delhi’s pollution-control measures are endlessly debated, the other severely polluted regions rarely enter the conversation.

The Toxic Shadow Over Kochi: From Commercial Hub to Pollution Crisis

Kochi, the vibrant queen of the Arabian Sea and the commercial heartbeat of Kerala, has long been synonymous with bustling ports, spice trades, and economic promise. Alongside its twin district Ernakulam, it drives the state’s growth, hosting major industries like the Cochin Refinery, Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore (FACT), and Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL). Yet, beneath this facade of prosperity lies a grim reality: Kochi and Ernakulam have morphed into Kerala’s unintended “pollution capital.” Industrial effluents choke the Periyar River—the lifeline supplying drinking water to millions—while airborne toxins blanket the air, fueling a surge in pollution-linked illnesses. Scientific reports and health surveys paint a dire picture of a city edging toward uninhabitability, especially for the elderly and children, whose fragile health bears the brunt of this man-made scourge. The Periyar River:A Lifeline Turned Poisoned Vein The Periyar River, originating from the Western Ghats and snaking through Ernakulam district, is more than a waterway—it’s the primary source of potable water for Kochi’s sprawling urban expanse and its suburbs. But decades of unchecked industrialization have transformed it into a toxic artery. The Eloor-Edayar industrial belt, a cluster of over 247 chemical and manufacturing units, dumps untreated effluents laden with heavy metals, ammonia, phosphates, and organic waste directly into the river. A 2021 analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) revealed alarmingly high levels of these pollutants in the river’s stretch through this zone, with Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)—a key indicator of organic pollution—frequently exceeding 8 mg/L near Eloor, far above the safe limit of 3 mg/L for drinking water sources. Recent incidents underscore the crisis’s acuity. In May 2024, a massive fish kill along the Eloor-Edayar stretch triggered an urgent probe into industrial violations, highlighting how effluents from units like the Cochin Refinery and FACT—major producers of petrochemicals and fertilizers—continue to evade strict enforcement by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB). KSPCB’s monitoring data from April 2025 shows critically high pollution levels at all major stations across Ernakulam, with heavy metals like mercury and lead persisting in sediments and groundwater. A spatio-temporal study spanning 2003–2023 linked these discharges to broader land-use changes, estimating that industrialization has degraded groundwater quality across 7.4% of the study area, exposing over 590,000 people to health risks from contaminated sources. The fallout extends to aquatic life and fisheries, vital for local livelihoods. Dried fish from Kerala’s coast, including Periyar-fed regions, show elevated lead (Pb) and chromium (Cr) levels—Pb up to levels warranting concern—attributed to anthropogenic pollution from ports and industries. Seasonal variations exacerbate the issue; monsoon dilutions offer temporary relief, but dry-season concentrations of heavy metals in fish tissues spike, as documented in a 2017 IOSR Journal study. Air Pollution: A Smoggy Stranglehold on Urban Life If the Periyar is Kochi’s poisoned underbelly, the air above is its suffocating shroud. Rapid urbanization, construction dust, vehicular emissions, and industrial stacks have driven air quality into the red zone. As of December 2025, Kochi’s real-time Air Quality Index (AQI) hovers at 157—classified as “Unhealthy”—with PM2.5 levels reaching 90 µg/m³, well above the World Health Organization’s annual guideline of 5 µg/m³. AccuWeather forecasts for the week predict sustained “Unhealthy” levels (AQI 103–105), urging sensitive groups to limit outdoor exposure. Ernakulam district, with the state’s most monitoring stations, reports a steady climb in PM2.5 concentrations, mirroring trends from 2022 data where levels remained elevated or worsened year-over-year. Visible smog now blankets early mornings and evenings, drawing eerie parallels to Delhi’s winter haze, as noted by environmentalists like Dr. C.M. Joy of the Kerala Nature Protection Council. Deforestation for projects like the Kochi Metro—without adequate replanting—has trapped pollutants in stagnant air, amplified by low winds and high humidity. A COVID-19 lockdown study in the Eloor belt revealed how industrial halts briefly improved river water quality, but post-lockdown rebounds underscored the sector’s dominance in air toxics too. KSPCB’s integrated reports highlight nutrient pollution from agriculture and industry as primary culprits, with surface water quality declining across Kerala’s urban rivers like the Periyar. The Human Toll: A Surge in Pollution-Linked Ailments The environmental decay is etching itself into public health, with pulmonary and respiratory diseases skyrocketing. A 2019 study in Kochi found chronic respiratory morbidity afflicting one in every ten bus drivers and conductors—high-exposure workers—linked directly to ambient particulates. Surveys reveal that 34% of residents perceive air pollution as having a “moderate” impact on asthma, while 26% report “significant” effects, with bronchial asthma prevalence among children and adolescents driving frequent hospitalizations and school absenteeism. Non-smokers, particularly women, are seeing an alarming uptick in pulmonary issues, as flagged in a 2014 Hindu report, with exposure to high PM levels triggering chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and allergies. A 2025 perception study across Ernakulam’s industrial zones found that nearly one-fourth of daily patients at government clinics present with respiratory, dermatological, or cardiac ailments attributed to pollution—symptoms like wheezing, skin rashes, and heart strain disproportionately hitting the vulnerable. Older adults and children, with developing or waning lung capacities, face the harshest blows; a 2019 urban prevalence survey tied symptoms like cough and breathlessness to age, smoking history, and family predispositions, but emphasized pollution as the accelerant. Globally, air pollution claims 7 million lives annually from cardiopulmonary causes, and Kerala’s urban burden mirrors this, with models projecting a 10% PM2.5 hike could amplify disease loads in cities like Kochi by exacerbating asthma and COPD. The National Centre for Disease Control’s Kerala adaptation plan calls for routine screenings for pollution-related ills, underscoring the urgency.

Delhi air remains ‘very poor’ despite drop in farm fires, CSE study flags rising local emissions

Amid the worrying levels of pollution in Delhi, a new study on early winter in the capital and its adjoining areas have pointed out that the city’s air quality falls between ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ even when the contribution of farm fires has reduced. This basically means that local sources are adding to the pollution. As per the report released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the daily rise of PM2.5 and other toxic gases such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and carbon monoxide (CO), is largely released from vehicles and combustion sources. Additionally, it has been noted that the longer term air quality trends in Delhi have also not shown much improvement. This hints at an urgent need for ‘deep rooted shifts in infrastructure and systems to upscale action to cut emissions from vehicles, industry, power plants, waste, and construction and household energy’, said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director at CSE. The analysis is on the basis of air quality data from the portal of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Toxic pollutants from vehicular plumes see rise in early winter: CSE study

Toxic pollutants from vehicular plumes — nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and carbon monoxide (CO) — have shown a surge this early winter, a new analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), an independent Delhi-based think tank, has flagged. The assessment, released on Monday, mapped early winter trends from October to November this year. The study noted that even with a “lesser contribution of farm fires” — that was below 5 per cent on most days, between 5 to 15 per cent on a few days, and peaking at 22 per cent on November 12-13 — the air quality remained poor, indicating the high impact of year-round local sources. The CSE’s earlier assessments have found a strong correlation between traffic congestion and elevated NO₂ levels, especially during peak hours on working days when travel speeds fall. Multiple studies — both global and national — have also linked exposure to traffic pollutants with excess morbidity and mortality among drivers, commuters, and people living near major roadways, including triggering and worsening respiratory diseases. The study has identified Vivek Vihar, Ashok Vihar, Nehru Nagar, Alipur, Siri Fort, Dwarka Sector 8, and Patparganj as emerging hotspots, noting that these locations “have remained persistent hotspots for four consecutive years”. It said that the Delhi government needs to take action like it did in 2018, even outside the 13 identified hotspots. Another key finding shows that smaller NCR towns witnessed worse smog episodes during high-intensity pollution days. “Several NCR cities remained just as polluted as Delhi, and often worse, with towns like Bahadurgarh recording significantly higher smog intensities during this period. A region-wide smog episode affected NCR towns, but it was Bahadurgarh that endured the most persistent conditions, with the episode lasting a full 10 days, from 9 to 18 November,” it stated. Bahadurgarh recorded an average smog intensity of 343 µg/m³, nearly 1.2 times of Delhi’s average. This shows that the region now behaves as a single air-shed where smaller towns are no longer cleaner gaps, but pollution hotspots facing equal or greater pressure. The pattern of local sources driving PM2.5 levels is well established. Last year, the CSE found that even when stubble-burning impact was minimal at 0.7 per cent between October 10 and 20, particulate concentrations remained high and the city saw no “good” air days. Experts have repeatedly warned that Delhi’s baseline emissions stay elevated throughout the year and only worsen during episodic events like farm fires. In its recommendations, the CSE called for deep structural changes mainly in vehicular sector, such as meeting vehicle electrification targets with strict timelines, scrappage of older vehicles, scaling up integrated public transport with last-mile connectivity and walking-cycling infrastructure and restraining personal vehicle use through parking caps, pricing, and congestion tax. Other recommendations include a focus on enabling industry to switch to affordable cleaner fuels with stringent emission norms, lowering natural gas taxes and electrifying industrial processes. It has also recommended that the focus should be on legacy waste remediation. Meanwhile, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said in a statement that with the paddy harvesting season drawing to a close, Punjab and Haryana have recorded a significant decline in farm fires. Punjab recorded 5,114 fires this season, reflecting a reduction of 53% from 2024, 86% from 2023, 90% from 2022, and 93% from 2021. Likewise, Haryana logged 662 incidents, registering a 53% reduction from 2024, 71% from 2023, 81% from 2022, and 91% from 2021. The commission said, “These numbers represent the most significant decline achieved since CAQM began monitoring state-specific crop residue management measures.”

Delhi’s air pollution is of its own making. Stubble burning not the main culprit, says CSE

Vehicular emissions and not stubble fires are the biggest contributions to Delhi’s foul winter air, a new analysis by the national capital-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has shown. It also showed that the level of fine pollutants has shown no improvement since 2022, indicating that pollution control measures being implemented by government agencies have not been effective. The report released Monday shows a repeated pattern where PM2.5 rises and falls which is in sync with the nitrogen dioxide during morning and evening peak and rush hours, showing the pivotal role of the traffic in daily pollution rise. Nitrogen dioxide shows a sharp and immediate peak from tailpipe emissions, whereas PM2.5 accumulates more slowly but stays trapped under shallow winter boundary layers. Carbon monoxide, another harmful gas where vehicles are the biggest emitters, has shown an exceeding rise across the city. “What’s more worrying is the daily synchronised rise of PM2.5 and other toxic gases such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and carbon monoxide (CO), largely from vehicles and combustion sources, creating a toxic cocktail that has gone unnoticed,” CSE executive director-research and advocacy Anumita Roychowdhury said in a statement. She added that the trends signal an urgent need for deep rooted shifts in infrastructure and systems to upscale action for cutting emissions from vehicles, industry, power plants, waste, construction and household energy.

Traffic, not stubble, behind daily pollution spikes in Delhi: Study

Even with farm fires at a multi-year low, Delhi-NCR's winter air remains suffocating. For most of October and November, pollution levels hovered between 'very poor' and 'severe', fuelled by a rising "toxic cocktail" of PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and carbon monoxide (CO) emitted mainly from vehicles and other local sources. At least 22 air-quality monitoring stations in Delhi recorded carbon monoxide (CO) levels above permissible limits on more than 30 of the 59 days assessed, with Dwarka Sector 8 logging the highest number of breaches at 55 days, followed by Jahangirpuri and Delhi University's North Campus, both at 50 days, according to a new analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).

Traffic, not stubble burning, behind Delhi’s pollution spike: Study

Even with farm fires at a multi-year low, Delhi-NCR’s winter air remains polluted. For most of October and November, AQI levels hovered between ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’. A new analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) shows that emissions from vehicle and other local sources are mainly responsible for daily pollution spikes in the Capital. This has created a daily “toxic cocktail” of PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and carbon monoxide (CO).

CSE study: Vehicles key culprit behind pollution load

Gases such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) have shown significant spikes in Delhi-NCR in a new analysis of early winter trends, surging with traffic emissions trapped under shallow winter boundary layers. These findings, experts said, point to the strong influence that traffic-related emissions have on Delhi’s daily pollution spikes. The analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), released Monday, also noted that while peak pollution levels have been lower this early winter compared to previous years, the average pollution levels remain largely unchanged. The study, covering the period from October 1 to November 15, found PM2.5 rising and falling almost in tandem with NO2 during morning (7-10am) and evening (6-9pm) hours – a clear indication of the impact of traffic emissions and congestion. CSE said NO2 displayed sharper, more immediate peaks linked directly to vehicular plumes, while PM2.5 showed broader peaks as fine particles accumulated and dispersed more slowly. CO, which is also predominantly emitted from vehicles, showed widespread exceedances across Delhi this winter. More than half (22) monitoring stations recorded CO levels above the eight-hour standard on more than 30 of the 59 study days, pointing to persistent traffic-linked emissions. Delhi has a total of 40 air quality stations.

Despite hazardous air, Delhi records its lowest average AQI since 2018

Even as a thick blanket of toxic haze continues to hang over the national capital, the Central government informed Parliament on Monday that Delhi has recorded its lowest average Air Quality Index (AQI) this year since 2018, except for the unusual year of 2020, when pollution levels dropped sharply due to the Covid-19 lockdown. Data from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) showed that stubble-burning events in Punjab alone fell from 49,922 in 2022 to 5,114 in 2025. The Centre for Science and Environment also noted that while air pollution remains dangerous, the peak pollution levels were lower this winter due to fewer farm fires.

Delhi AQI: पराली नहीं तो आखिर क्या है दिल्ली में प्रदूषण की वजह? अब तक घुट रहा राजधानी के लोगों का दम

सिर्फ दिल्ली ही नहीं बल्कि अब बिहार और यूपी में भी प्रदूषण का प्रकोप देखने को मिल रहा है. लेकिन क्या आप जानते हैं कि पंजाब और हरियाणा में पराली जलाने की घटनाएं इस साल पहले के मुकाबले काफी कम है, फिर भी दिल्ली-NCR में हवा ज़हरीली बनी हुई है. आपकी जानकारी के लिए बता दें कि अक्टूबर और नवंबर में ज़्यादातर दिनों में राष्ट्रीय राजधानी का AQI काफी खराब श्रेणी में है. लेकिन सच कहा जाए तो दिल्ली में बढ़ते प्रदूषण की वजह पराली नहीं बल्कि कुछ और ही है. सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (CSE) की एक नई रिपोर्ट में कहा गया है कि दिल्ली के एयर पॉल्यूशन के लिए ट्रैफिक और लोकल वजहें ज़िम्मेदार हैं, और पराली जलाने का इसमें बहुत कम हिस्सा है.

पराली और प्रदूषण कम होने के बाद भी दिल्ली की हवा बेहद खराब

नई दिल्ली: इस बार दिल्ली एनसीआर पराली के धुएं में नहीं छुपी। इसके बावजूद दिल्ली में सर्दियों में प्रदूषण बेहद खमोनोऑक्साइड (CO) भी बढ़ रहा है। इनके सोर्स गाड़ियां और उद्योग है। CSE क्लीन एयर यूनिट की डिप्टी प्रोग्राम मैनेजर शरणजीत कौर ने कहा नए हॉट स्पॉट उभर रहे हैं। कम रहे पराली जलाने के मामले एनसीआर के छोटे शहरों में स्मॉग की अवधि बढ़ी है और स्मॉग तेजी से भी बन रहा है। इस साल पंजाब, हरियाणा में बाढ़ की वजह से पराली के मामले काफी कम रहे। ज्यादातर दिनों में पराली का प्रदूषण 5 प्रतिशत से कम रहा। कुछ दिन यह 5 से 15 प्रतिशत से अधिक रहा और पराली प्रदूषण का पीक 12 और 13 नवंबर कोराब से गंभीर रहा।

दिल्ली-एनसीआर में पूर्ण बैन हो सकते हैं पुराने वाहन! 59 दिनों की रिपोर्ट में CSE का चौंकाने वाला खुलासा

दिल्ली-एनसीआर में एक बार फिर 10 साल पुराने डीजल और 15 साल पुराने पेट्रोल वाहनों की एंट्री पर बैन लग सकता है। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट की रिपोर्ट से इसकी संभावनाएं तेज हो गई हैं। हालांकि अभी सरकार की ओर से इसपर कोई बयान सामने नहीं आया है। Delhi Air Pollution: राष्ट्रीय राजधानी और उसके आसपास के क्षेत्रों में प्रदूषण ने कहर मचा रखा है। पिछले लगभग डेढ़ महीने से दिल्ली में प्रदूषण का लेवल लगातार 'खराब' की श्रेणी में दर्ज किया जा रहा है। इसी बीच सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (CSE) ने प्रदूषण पर एक विश्लेषण रिपोर्ट जारी की। यह विश्लेषण दिल्ली में 59 दिनों का डेटा संकलन करने के बाद किया गया। इस रिपोर्ट में बताया गया है कि दिल्ली में प्रदूषण बढ़ने के पीछे सबसे बड़ी भूमिका सड़कों पर दौड़ रहे वाहनों के धुएं की है। इस रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, दिल्ली-एनसीआर में नाइट्रोजन डाइऑक्साइड (NO₂) और कार्बन मोनोऑक्साइड (CO) जैसी गैसों का स्तर इस शुरुआती सर्दी में चिंताजनक रूप से बढ़ा है और इसके पीछे वाहनों से निकलने वाले धुएं की बड़ी भूमिका है। दिल्ली में प्रदूषण बढ़ाने के लिए ट्रैफिक और वाहन जिम्मेदार सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (CSE) की ताजा रिपोर्ट में यह साफ किया गया है कि राजधानी की हवा में जहर घोलने में सड़कों पर दौड़ते वाहनों का धुआं सबसे बड़ा कारक बनकर उभर रहा है। विशेषज्ञों की मानें तो सर्दियों में वायुमंडल की सीमा परत (Boundary Layer) उथली होने लगती है। इसके चलते वाहनों से निकलने वाले प्रदूषक तत्व हवा में फैलने के बजाय सतही परत में ही फंस जाते हैं। यही कारण है कि सर्दियों में प्रदूषण की समस्या विकराल रूप ले लेती है।

Delhi air stays 'very poor' as over 30 stations record AQI above 300

Delhi’s air quality continued to remain in the ‘very poor’ category on Tuesday, with the city’s average air quality index (AQI) at 333 at 8 am, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The Anand Vihar monitoring station reported an AQI of 386, up from Monday’s 327, reflecting persistently high pollution levels across the capital. Most stations report ‘very poor’ air At 8 am, a majority of Delhi’s monitoring stations were firmly in the ‘very poor’ bracket. Anand Vihar (386), Ashok Vihar (354), Bawana (392), Burari (364), Chandni Chowk (400), Dwarka Sector 8 (325), ITO (334), Patparganj (359), Rohini (355), Punjabi Bagh (356), and Vivek Vihar (399) are among the worst-hit areas. Many of these stations are approaching the ‘severe’ threshold of 400 AQI. A few pockets recorded relatively better air quality in the ‘poor’ category, including IGI Airport (271), Lodhi Road (272), Mandir Marg (242), and NSIT Dwarka (222), providing only slight relief to residents. Mumbai enforces GRAP Stage 4 curbs Meanwhile, in Mumbai, air quality has also worsened, prompting the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to implement the strictest pollution control measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-IV). The curbs target areas with ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ AQI readings and include halting construction and enforcing dust-control measures, as residents continue to face health risks. Delhi-NCR air chokes despite low farm fires Even with farm fires at a multi-year low, Delhi-NCR’s air remains hazardous. For most of October and November, pollution levels hovered between ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’, driven by a combination of PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and carbon monoxide (CO) from vehicles and other local sources. A recent study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) found that 22 air-quality monitoring stations in Delhi recorded CO levels above permissible limits on over 30 of the 59 days assessed. Dwarka Sector 8 logged the highest number of exceedances at 55 days, followed by Jahangirpuri and Delhi University’s North Campus at 50 days each. The study also noted a sharp increase in pollution hotspots. In 2018, only 13 areas were officially designated as hotspots, but now several locations regularly report pollution levels far above the city average. Limited improvement despite lower peak pollution While peak pollution this year was lower compared with the last three winters, thanks to fewer firecrackers and reduced stubble burning, average air quality has seen almost no improvement. PM2.5 levels for October-November were around 9 per cent lower than last year, but relative to the three-year baseline, the change is negligible. Weather conditions worsen air quality Air-quality is expected to show little improvement in the coming week, as meteorological conditions continue to hinder the dispersal of pollutants. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast foggy conditions for Tuesday, with temperatures ranging between 9 degrees Celsius and 24 degrees Celsius, which could trap pollutants close to the ground.