NEW DELHI: The capital's overall air quality index (AQI) fluctuates from day to day, but for its 13 pollution hotspots, the story rarely changes — thick smog and dangerously high pollution levels showing little sign of relief. An analysis of annual PM2.5 concentrations at these hotspots shows that 11 of them recorded a rise in average PM2.5 levels last year compared to 2023. All 13 had levels higher than the annual standard till Oct 31 in 2025, according to Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). The annual national ambient air quality standard for PM2.5 is 40 micrograms per cubic metre , while World Health Organisation's annual safe guideline is just 5µg/m³.

Anand Vihar, one of the hotspots, recorded an average level of 124 µg/m³ in 2022, rising to 126 in 2023 and further to 136

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