Kolkata 3rd worst polluted capital city in India as January PM2.5 levels breach limits

KOLKATA: Kolkata emerged as the third worst polluted city in Jan, as far as PM2.5 pollution is concerned. Several other urban centres in Bengal also recorded unhealthy air quality through much of Jan 2026, reflecting a wider national pattern in which nearly half of India's monitored cities failed to meet official pollution standards, according to a new analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).

Data from CREA's Jan 2026 Monthly Air Quality Snapshot show that Kolkata ranked 30th among Indian cities, with an average PM2.5 concentration of 92 micrograms per cubic metre—well above India's National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) limit of 60 µg/m³.

Neighbouring Howrah fared slightly worse, ranking 28th nationally with an average of 94 µg/m³, underlining the shared airshed challenges of the Kolkata metropolitan region.

Across West Bengal, industrial and urban belts showed similar stress. Asansol, Durgapur, Barrackpore, and Haldia all crossed the national PM2.5 standard during the month, while Siliguri in north Bengal, though relatively cleaner, still exceeded the World Health Organisation's recommended daily safe guideline of 15 µg/m³. In fact, CREA noted that not a single Indian city complied with the World Health Organisation guideline during January.

In Kolkata, residents experienced three "very poor", 12 "poor" air quality days, and 16 "moderate" days, with no "good" or even "satisfactory" days recorded throughout the month. Howrah saw a similar distribution, while Asansol recorded four "very poor" days—among the worst in the state. These categories correspond to India's AQI, which links higher PM2.5 levels to increased risks of respiratory and cardiovascular illness.

"To mitigate this recurring and year-long pollution, the revision of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) presents a key opportunity to strengthen India's air quality management. This revision must focus on prioritising PM2.5 and its precursor gases (SO2 and NO2) over PM10, revising the list of non-attainment cities, setting stricter emission standards for industries and power plants, and adopting an airshed-based approach to address air pollution at a regional scale," said Manoj Kumar, India Analyst, CREA.