A damning report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) released in November 2025 revealed that Delhi recorded zero "good" Air Quality Index (AQI) days throughout the entire year 2025 — a historic low that underscores the severity and year-round nature of the capital's air pollution crisis.
The CSE report documented that peak PM2.5 levels in Delhi reached 602 micrograms per cubic metre during the worst pollution episodes of 2025 — approximately 24 times the World Health Organisation's safe limit of 25 µg/m³ for 24-hour average exposure. This level of pollution is classified as "severe plus" under India's National Air Quality Standards.
Air pollution in Delhi is estimated to cause approximately 12,000 premature deaths per year, according to the report, with cardiovascular disease, respiratory illness, and lung cancer being the primary mortality causes linked to chronic PM2.5 exposure.
The crisis is not confined to Delhi. The report highlighted that Jaipur, Rajasthan's capital, also came under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) framework during the 2025 winter season, indicating severe pollution levels warranting emergency restrictions on construction activity, heavy vehicles, and industrial operations.
GRAP is a tiered emergency response system activated when AQI crosses defined thresholds: Stage I (Poor), Stage II (Very Poor), Stage III (Severe), and Stage IV (Severe+). Jaipur's inclusion under GRAP marks the expanding geographic footprint of India's air pollution emergency beyond the Indo-Gangetic Plain.
The CSE report calls for: strengthened emission source controls (transport, industry, biomass burning), permanent year-round action plans rather than seasonal responses, regional air-shed management extending beyond political boundaries, and health-based air quality standards alignment with WHO guidelines.