Gurgaon has experienced a substantial reduction in fine particle pollution (PM2.5) over the past decade, with levels dropping by more than half from 198.44 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³) in 2015-16 to 91.7 µg/m³ in 2026-27. This represents a decline of nearly 54 percent, according to a dashboard developed by environmental research and data analytics firm Envirocatalysts, using data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The city's annual PM2.5 concentrations decreased to 105.17 µg/m³ in 2018-19 and further to 90.19 µg/m³ in 2019-20. Since then, levels have remained relatively stable, fluctuating between 88 and 92 µg/m³, indicating a plateau despite various pollution-control measures implemented across the National Capital Region (NCR). However, these concentrations still far exceed both national air quality standards and the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.
PM10 Levels Remain Persistently High
PM10, which is largely driven by road dust, construction activities, and resuspended particles, has remained persistently high over the years. Levels stood at 236.42 µg/m³ in 2017-18 and 231.07 µg/m³ in 2018-19, before declining to 179.17 µg/m³ in 2019-20. They fell further during the pandemic to 163.68 µg/m³ in 2020-21, rose again to 197.36 µg/m³ in 2022-23, and dropped to 167.7 µg/m³ in 2026-27. This trend points to continuing dust pollution challenges in Gurgaon amid rapid urbanisation, infrastructure expansion, and large-scale construction activity.
Ground-Level Ozone Shows Fluctuating Trends
Ground-level ozone, a secondary pollutant formed from nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, and sunlight, exhibited fluctuating trends over the years. Levels rose from 32.37 µg/m³ in 2015-16 to 53.04 µg/m³ in 2016-17, and then to 79.77 µg/m³ in 2017-18. The city recorded its highest ozone concentration of 94.07 µg/m³ in 2019-20. Although levels declined to 60.93 µg/m³ in 2021-22 and 48.48 µg/m³ in 2023-24, they rose again to 61.28 µg/m³ in 2025-26 before falling to 41.1 µg/m³ in 2026-27. Experts have increasingly flagged ozone as an emerging urban pollutant because it is formed through atmospheric reactions rather than being directly emitted, particularly during summer months.
Nitrogen Dioxide and Sulphur Dioxide Trends
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), associated largely with vehicular emissions and combustion sources, showed a fluctuating but overall declining trend. NO2 levels increased from 17.79 µg/m³ in 2015-16 to 35.99 µg/m³ in 2018-19 before gradually declining. The city recorded NO2 levels of 21.68 µg/m³ in 2020-21, 22.2 µg/m³ in 2021-22, and 15.36 µg/m³ in 2024-25, before levels rose again to 22.83 µg/m³ in 2026-27. Similarly, sulphur dioxide (SO2) levels remained comparatively low through the decade. SO2 concentrations fell from 10.25 µg/m³ in 2015-16 to 6.64 µg/m³ in 2016-17 and further to 5.57 µg/m³ in 2021-22. Though the city saw temporary increases in some years, including 13.06 µg/m³ in 2019-20 and 12.05 µg/m³ in 2023-24, levels again declined to 5.37 µg/m³ in 2026-27.
Carbon Monoxide Levels Remain Stable
Carbon monoxide (CO) levels fluctuated over the years but broadly remained stable. Gurgaon recorded its highest CO level of 2.92 milligrams per cubic metre (mg/m³) in 2016-17. CO concentrations largely remained between 1.1 and 1.7 mg/m³ in subsequent years, with the city recording 1.13 mg/m³ in 2026-27.
Expert Analysis and Concerns
Sunil Dahiya, founder and lead analyst at Envirocatalysts, stated, "A detailed analysis of the data suggests that while NO2 levels have dropped slightly compared to pre-BS VI implementation, PM2.5 and PM10 levels haven't shown similar improvements and remain hazardous for Gurgaon. This indicates that overall activities across polluting sectors remain beyond the city's cumulative capacity, alongside significant contributions from sources beyond the city boundary, as Gurgaon follows the larger pollution patterns seen across other cities in the airshed."
Dahiya noted that cleaner fuel adoption, tighter emission norms, the transition to BS-VI standards, and industrial controls may have contributed to the decline in NO2 and some improvement in PM2.5 levels. However, he cautioned that pollution levels in Gurgaon continue to remain significantly above safe standards, posing ongoing health risks to residents.
