A new analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) reveals that nearly 44% of Indian cities, totaling 1,787, face chronic air pollution, exceeding national PM2.5 standards annually for at least five years. Byrnihat in Meghalaya, Delhi, and Ghaziabad are identified as the most polluted cities. Alarmingly, only about 4% of these chronically polluted cities are covered under India's National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), raising concerns about the strategy's scope and effectiveness.