Kolkata beats other metros, reports more than 50% of good air days in 4 years: CSE study
The findings, part of CSE's State of India's Environment in Figures 2025, analysed air quality data from Jan 1, 2021 to March 31, 2025.
According to the study, Kolkata reported 368 days of 'very good' air and 423 days of 'satisfactory' air during this period. While only 231 days of 'moderate' air was recorded in the city, not a single day was reported in the 'severe' category.
With fewer 'poor' and 'very poor' air quality days - 513 and 15 respectively - Kolkatans faced limited exposure to harmful pollution levels, which in turn meant better health, the analysis highlighted.
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Delhi remained the most polluted metro during the study period, with 396 'moderate', 265 'poor' and 62 'very poor' air quality days. Significantly, the national capital's 284 'severe' air days was in sharp contrast to Kolkata's nil, an indication of the former's prolonged hazardous pollution levels.
"Kolkata's success story is a result of several key policy decisions by PCB and their effective implementation by the local bodies," said West Bengal Pollution Control Board chairman Kalyan Rudra.
"Using sprinklers to prevent dust-resuspension, deploying fire tenders at landfills, biomining of garbage heaps, shifting to clean fuel, use of smokeless chullah by food vendors and urban and rural poor have all been crucial in improving the city's air quality," he added. Rudra, however, cautioned that significant challenges remained in reducing emissions further.
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Anumita Roychowdhury, an air quality expert with CSE, said the Centre's National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) helped track pollution levels and undertake remedial measures.
Under the NCAP monitoring and compliance system, cities report their progress on the Central Pollution Control Board's PRANA portal, every quarter, defining the scope of action, setting targets to reduce pollution and indicating funding.
"The performance-linked NCAP framework helped lay the foundations of national air quality management in non-attainment cities, such as Kolkata," said Roychowdhury.
Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai recorded a high number of 'poor' AQI days, but dodged 'very poor' or 'severe' days, owing to their locations, weather and pollution sources.
Air pollution in southern metros is primarily driven by vehicular emissions, dust and industrial activities.
Mumbai presented a hybrid pattern. The city saw 145 'very good', 637 'satisfactory', 118 'moderate' and 649 'poor' AQI days. It largely stayed clear of 'very poor' and 'severe' levels, recording only one 'very poor' day and zero 'severe' days.
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