"Air pollution in India is no longer a Delhi-centric problem." Examine this in light of recent station-level PM2.5 data.

PM2.5 refers to fine particles of 2.5 µm or less, and it is India's most harmful air pollutant. A station-level analysis of the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) 634 Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) found that nearly 70% recorded 'severe' PM2.5 peaks (≥250 µg/m³) during Deepavali 2026 [1]. The data largely support the statement. However, gaps in monitoring mean the full scale is still unclear.

What the station data show

• Nationwide spread: about 70% of stations across the country hit severe peaks, so the problem was not confined to the Delhi-NCR cluster [1].
• Beyond the capital: at least seven States besides Delhi recorded peak PM2.5 [1].

Why the picture may be understated

• Dead stations: only 571 of 634 stations were live during the event [1].
• Clipped peaks: analysers are calibrated only up to 1,000 µg/m³, and automated validation drops values beyond that as "data gaps". Many stations went silent just after reading close to that limit [1].
• Thin coverage: CSE's State of India's Environment report says India's fight against air pollution suffers from a monitoring lag, and much of the country is still unmonitored [2].

Why Delhi still stands apart

• Persistence: CPCB's NCR bulletins repeatedly rated Delhi 'Severe' through winter 2024–25, with PM2.5 as the main pollutant (e.g., AQI 409) [3]. Delhi's crisis lasts a whole season, while spikes elsewhere are often short-lived.

Policy gaps exposed

• NCAP aims to cut PM10 by up to 40% by 2025-26 [4]. This is an annual target for coarse particles, so it misses short PM2.5 peaks.
• CSE found that 64% of NCAP and 15th Finance Commission funds went to road-dust control. Delhi and Noida used less than 40% of their funds [5].

Way forward

• Flag above-range readings instead of deleting them, and publish station downtime logs.
• Add PM2.5 and peak-day targets to NCAP, and plan across States by airshed (the shared air basin of a region).
• Build the capacity of State Pollution Control Boards to spend funds and maintain stations.

Station-level data confirm that severe PM2.5 is now a problem across many States, even though Delhi's crisis lasts longest. A PM2.5-focused NCAP, airshed-wide action and transparent monitoring without gaps can secure the Article 21 right to clean air and advance SDG 11.6.