2 months ago
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A caller study states that Bengaluru shows consistently debased PM2.5 levels compared to different cities and stands retired for maintaining the lowest and astir unchangeable aerial quality.
The report, ‘Meteorology-Driven Persistence of PM2.5 Pollution successful Indian Cities: Implications for NCAP Phase-III’, by Climate Trends, analyses however meteorological conditions power the persistence of PM2.5 contamination crossed six large Indian cities: Delhi, Patna, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, and Bengaluru.
On CPCB data
The study is based connected the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) aerial prime monitoring information from 2024–2025, and the investigation integrates station-averaged CPCB observations with meteorological clustering to characterise PM2.5 behaviour crossed monthly, seasonal, and regime-specific scales.
“Bengaluru shows consistently debased PM2.5 levels compared to different cities. Median concentrations stay comparatively stable, with lone a flimsy summation during the wintertime months. The constrictive interquartile ranges crossed astir months bespeak debased variability and less utmost contamination events, making Bengaluru the slightest polluted metropolis among those analysed,” the study states.
It added that the seasonal mean PM2.5 concentrations successful Bengaluru bespeak comparatively amended aerial prime than bluish cities, with wide seasonal variability crossed some years.
According to the study successful 2024, the seasonal mean values were 37.4 micrograms per cubic metre (μg/m3) successful the winter, 35.7 μg/m3 successful the summer, 15.7 μg/m3 during the monsoon, and 33.3 μg/m3 successful the post-monsoon season.
During colder months
“In 2025, wintertime contamination accrued to 42.4 μg/m3, indicating somewhat poorer aerial prime during colder months, portion important improvements were observed successful different seasons. The summertime mean dropped sharply to 24.7 μg/m3, the monsoon mean declined further to 13.4 μg/m3, and the post-monsoon mean reduced to 28.6 μg/m3, reflecting wide seasonal betterment extracurricular wintertime successful 2025,” the study states.
The monthly mean PM2.5 values further exemplify these patterns.
In 2024, the highest monthly mean was observed successful March (46.2 μg/m3), followed by January (39.6 μg/m3) and February (39.4 μg/m3), portion the cleanest months were June and July (both ~11-12 μg/m3) owed to the monsoon influence.
In 2025, astir months recorded little mean values compared to 2024, peculiarly successful April (26.9 μg/m3) and May (15.2 μg/m3).
However, wintertime months showed mixed trends, with January (40.4 μg/m3) remaining precocious and a crisp summation successful December (52.2 μg/m3), the highest monthly mean crossed some years.
“Overall, the mean PM2.5 levels suggest that Bengaluru experienced cleaner aerial successful 2025 during summer, monsoon, and post-monsoon seasons, though episodic wintertime contamination remains a concern,” the study stated.
Delhi highest
The study identifies Delhi arsenic the astir severely polluted city, signaling the highest yearly PM2.5 levels and extended periods of terrible aerial prime successful winter. Patna emerges arsenic the second-most polluted city, portion Mumbai and Chennai saw a emergence successful yearly contamination levels successful 2025.
