Gurgaon has suffered its most polluted December in nearly a decade, with toxic air levels reversing a trend of gradual improvement witnessed over the past eight years. The city's average concentration of deadly PM2.5 particles soared to 156 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³) till December 27, marking the highest December average since 2016.
A Sharp Reversal After Years of Decline
The spike this winter has been severe. Data reveals that PM2.5 concentration jumped from 115 µg/m³ in December 2024 to 156 µg/m³ this year—an alarming increase of 41 µg/m³, or approximately 36%. This surge effectively wiped out much of the clean-air progress made over the previous two winters.
After a peak of 226 µg/m³ in December 2016, pollution levels had shown a general decline. Concentrations remained between 140 and 153 µg/m³ from 2017 to 2022, then fell to 125 µg/m³ in 2023 and a decade-low of 115 µg/m³ in 2024. This year's dramatic rise represents a significant setback for the city's air quality management efforts.
Experts Point to a Toxic Mix of Causes
Manoj Kumar from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) explained that winter pollution is never due to a single factor. "It is a combination of both year-round emissions and meteorology," he stated. He highlighted that background pollution from perpetual sources like traffic, industry, and construction stays high throughout the year. During winter, poor meteorological conditions trap these pollutants close to the ground. "When dispersion is poor and emissions continue unchecked, concentrations rise sharply," Kumar added.
Officials from the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) and independent experts cited the familiar winter culprits: stagnant weather, vehicle exhaust, construction and road dust, and seasonal smoke from crop-residue burning in neighbouring states like Punjab and Haryana.
An HSPCB official noted the unusual conditions this December: "Calm winds and low mixing height meant whatever was emitted from traffic, construction and household sources simply stayed trapped near the ground. So PM2.5 built up over days instead of dispersing." This phenomenon demonstrates that even routine emissions can push air quality into the danger zone when weather patterns turn adverse, underscoring the critical need for sustained, year-round pollution control measures.
Systemic Gaps and Questionable Spending
Researchers point to systemic failures in planning and resource allocation. Shubhansh Tiwari, a research associate at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), expressed concern that Gurgaon is not included under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).
He emphasised that essential data and plans—such as source apportionment studies, carrying capacity assessments, and regional airshed action plans—remain incomplete. "You can see the gap on the ground. Funds are being pushed into a limited set of measures instead of a strategy guided by evidence on all major pollution sources in each city," Tiwari said.
He criticised the misalignment of budgets, stating that if proper data were available, funds could be directed more effectively. "Instead, we see funds going into dust mitigation and even questionable solutions like smog towers," he added, highlighting a potential waste of resources on unproven technologies.
The gravity of north India's pollution crisis is stark. According to the 2021 World Air Quality Report, 11 cities in Haryana featured among the world's 50 most polluted cities. This list includes Hisar, Faridabad, Rohtak, Jind, Gurgaon, Dharuhera, Charkhi Dadri, Yamunanagar, Sonipat, Kurukshetra, and Ambala.
Health experts continue to warn about the severe risks of PM2.5—ultra-fine particles that penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream. Prolonged exposure is directly linked to respiratory and cardiac illnesses. Health advisories remain active, especially for vulnerable groups like children, the elderly, and individuals with chronic health conditions.
As the data for the entire month of December 2025 is finalized, officials will assess the full-month averages. However, the existing figures already paint a clear and troubling picture of a city choking under a toxic haze, with systemic solutions still lagging far behind the scale of the problem.
