A binding national plan is urgently needed to tackle air pollution

The key message from this 10-year study is that despite policy intervention and technological improvement, India's major cities continue to suffer major air-quality challenges

The National Capital Region attracts countrywide and global attention for its poor air quality almost all the year round. But a recent study by Climate Trends, a research consultancy, offers a sobering truth. No major Indian city has achieved a safe air-quality index (AQI) in the past decade. The study covers 11 major cities over 10 years (2015-November 20, 2025). It shows that even for those cities such as Bengaluru, which had the cleanest air quality, their AQI never hit the “good” category; it has consistently stayed in the “satisfactory” category. 

The key message from this 10-year study is that