Ghaziabad Tops India’s Pollution List in January, Delhi Second: CREA Report
In January, Ghaziabad was the most polluted city in India with a monthly average PM2.5 concentration of 184 micrograms per cubic metre, followed by Delhi at 169, both exceeding the national standard of 60. Delhi experienced 24 Very Poor and 3 Severe air quality days. Across India, 123 of 248 cities surpassed the national PM2.5 limit, with none meeting the WHO guideline of 15. The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air highlighted the need to revise the National Clean Air Programme focusing on PM2.5 and related emissions. Cities like Noida, Gurugram, and Greater Noida also ranked among the most polluted.
First-hand measurement across 5 sources
We measured how 5 outlets covered this story. Coverage leans balanced overall (Left 8%, Centre 88%, Right 4%). Overall sentiment is negative (30/100). Lens Score 33/100.
Outlets measured: timesnow, ndtv, theprint, news18, hindustantimes. See how each one headlined and framed the same story in the source comparison below.
AI Analysis
All 5 outlets scored close to centre on political lean. The real divergence here is in emphasis, not lean — compare the headlines below to see how each outlet chose to frame the same facts.
Sentiment was consistent across outlets (30–30/100), indicating broadly factual reporting rather than editorialising.
Coverage timeline
hindustantimes broke this story on 6 Feb, 03:05 pm. Other outlets followed.