New delhi: North Delhi’s Jahangirpuri, Rohini, and Shahdara are the city’s most polluted areas, a hyperlocal air quality analysis has found, and pointed out that the national capital saw a breach in PM2.5 levels on 23 days of October.
Respirer Living Sciences, a climate-tech startup, conducted the month-long study using data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Google AirView+.
Official data from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and CPCB supported these findings, identifying the Jahangirpuri-Bawana-Wazirpur corridor as the city’s most polluted cluster, with average PM2.5 levels ranging between 140-146 µg/m³, followed by Anand Vihar and Vivek Vihar (133-135 µg/m³).
The analysis revealed that the city’s pollution peaks are concentrated in its northwest and eastern corridors, with industrial and residential clusters co-existing within the same polluted air sheds.
“Delhi’s pollution story is no longer just about its city centre. Hyperlocal mapping shows how industrial clusters and residential pockets are sharing the same airspace. Tackling this requires coordinated planning between city and state agencies,” Ronak Sutaria, Founder and CEO of Respirer Living Sciences, said.
“These transport-heavy and industrial zones in north and northeast Delhi remain chronic hotspots due to dense clusters of small industries, constant traffic, and poor air dispersion during calm weather,” he added.
In contrast, Dwarka, Sri Aurobindo Marg, and Lodhi Road recorded comparatively cleaner air, staying close to the “satisfactory” category of the air quality index (AQI).
The month-long study mapped Delhi’s air in 3×3 km grids to identify pollution hotspots invisible to traditional monitoring networks.
Jahangirpuri recorded the highest PM2.5 level in Delhi at 144.1 µg/m³, followed by Rohini, Shahdara, Mangolpuri, and Madanpur Khadar, all exceeding twice the safe limit. PM2.5 levels peaked at 675 µg/m³ during October 20–21 amid calm weather and festive emissions. Delhi’s AQI stood at 345 on Monday, remaining “very poor.”