India monthly ambient air quality snapshot: January2024

India’s air quality deteriorated in January 2024, as the winter season and low wind speed trapped pollutants near the surface, according to this report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). The report, titled “India Monthly Ambient Air Quality Snapshot: January 2024”, analysed the data from 539 continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) across 271 cities in India. It found that only 32 out of 131 cities under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) met the World Health Organization’s (WHO) daily guideline for PM2.5, a fine particulate matter that can penetrate deep into the lungs and cause serious health problems.