Northeast India is turning into a pollution hotspot

A new satellite assessment shows a drastic shift in India’s air-pollution map: the Northeast, once seen as relatively clean, is now facing year-round PM2.5 levels as high as some of the country’s worst hotspots. Assam, Tripura and several neighbouring states recorded elevated pollution in every season, while the Indo-Gangetic airshed continued to dominate the national crisis. With over half of India’s 447 districts exceeding the national PM2.5 limit, the data makes one thing clear — this is no longer a seasonal problem but a nationwide, year-round emergency.