By 121 News
Chandigarh, May 13, 2026:-- Respirer Living Sciences has released a comprehensive analysis of air pollution trends in Haryana, tracking ammonia (NH₃), fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅), and coarse particulate matter (PM₁₀) across 31 monitoring stations spanning 2024 through early 2026. The findings show: particulate pollution has persistently exceeded national health standards, and ammonia (an often-overlooked agricultural and livestock pollutant) is emerging as a key driver of secondary particulate formation across the state.
The report, titled “Trends in NH₃, PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀ in Haryana: Recommendations for a Pilot-scale Real-time, Source-specific Ammonia Monitoring Network”, draws on data from the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) and other monitoring agencies, offering the most detailed multi-year picture of Haryana's air quality challenge to date.
65.80–77.38
PM₂.₅ µg/m³ (Annual, 2024–26)
+8.06%
Rise in NH₃, 2024 to 2025
138.3 µg/m³
Peak NH₃ Annual Avg (Sector-51, Gurugram, 2025)
30–40%
PM₂.₅ as Secondary Particulate Matter
Under India's National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), the safe limits for PM₂.₅ are 60 µg/m³ for a 24-hour average and 40 µg/m³ annually; for PM₁₀, these are 100 µg/m³ and 60 µg/m³ respectively; and for NH₃, 400 µg/m³ over 24 hours and 100 µg/m³ annually. The WHO 2021 guidelines are far stricter, setting PM₂.₅ limits at just 15 µg/m³ (24-hour) and 5 µg/m³ (annual), and PM₁₀ at 45 µg/m³ and 15 µg/m³ — no WHO guideline currently exists for NH₃.
Against these benchmarks, Haryana's air quality picture is alarming. Annual PM₂.₅ levels averaged between 62 and 77 µg/m³ across 2024–26, nearly double India's own standard and over 12 times the WHO guideline. PM₁₀ fared no better, ranging from 123 to 141 µg/m³, more than double the Indian annual limit. On NH₃, while the state average stayed within India's annual threshold, Sector-51 in Gurugram recorded an annual average of 138.3 µg/m³ in 2025, breaching even India's relatively permissive limit of 100 µg/m³.
Why Ammonia Is a Critical Focus Area for Haryana
A World Bank assessment highlights that agricultural practices are an overlooked and key contributor to PM₂.₅, stemming from imbalanced fertiliser application, poor management of animal waste, and crop residue burning. “Crucially, one of the most significant sources of PM₂.₅ is 'secondary' particles: these form when ammonia (NH₃) and other nitrogen gases emitted from agriculture mix with sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) from transport and industry to create secondary PM₂.₅,” the assessment said.
According to the World Bank analysis, an estimated 30–40% of the PM₂.₅ emissions impacting Haryana are secondary particulate matter (SPM). Despite this, current air quality management (AQM) planning in the state does not prioritise or fully account for all sources and measures to reduce primary and secondary PM₂.₅. Respirer’s report provides the empirical basis to close this gap.
Key Findings
Particulate Matter Breaches National Standards Year After Year
• PM₂.₅ annual averages ranged from 62.51 µg/m³ (2025) to 77.38 µg/m³ (2026 partial data), consistently exceeding India's NAAQS annual standard of 40 µg/m³, by more than 50% in some years.
• PM₁₀ levels ranged from 123.44 µg/m³ to 141.68 µg/m³, more than double the annual NAAQS limit of 60 µg/m³.
• The southern belt — Gurugram, Faridabad, Bahadurgarh, and Manesar — consistently recorded the highest particulate concentrations.
Ammonia Levels Rising — and Breaching Thresholds in Hotspots
• Average NH₃ concentrations across Haryana rose from 35.75 µg/m³ in 2024 to 38.63 µg/m³ in 2025, an 8.06% increase.
• Annual NAAQS exceedance for NH₃ (threshold: 100 µg/m³) was recorded at Teri Gram, Gurugram (107.02 µg/m³ in 2024) and Sector-51, Gurugram (138.30 µg/m³ in 2025) — the only two stations to breach the annual standard.
• Daily 24-hour NH₃ exceedances (threshold: 400 µg/m³) were recorded on three consecutive days in March 2025 at Sector-51, Gurugram, with readings of 409.21, 410.20, and 411.82 µg/m³.
• High NH₃ averages were also observed at Murthal (Sonipat), Dharuhera, and Teri Gram — locations that coincide with livestock-dense districts and proximity to industrial corridors.
Top Annual Ammonia (NH₃) Hotspots by Year
Year
Rank 1 Station
NH₃ Annual Avg (µg/m³)
2024
Teri Gram, Gurugram – HSPCB
107.02
2025
Sector-51, Gurugram – HSPCB
138.30
2026*
Murthal, Sonipat – HSPCB
79.63
*2026 data is partial (January–April 2026).
NH₃ and Particulate Matter: A Seasonal Relationship
Cross-correlation analysis reveals that NH₃ exhibits a low-to-moderate positive correlation with PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀ during the winter and early spring months (January–April), with Pearson correlation values ranging from approximately 0.20 to 0.52. This seasonal pattern aligns with the known chemical kinetics of secondary aerosol formation, where cooler, more stable atmospheric conditions favour the reaction of NH₃ with SO₂ and NOₓ to produce ammonium sulphate and ammonium nitrate particles.
“The correlation weakens sharply during monsoon months (July–September), likely due to wet deposition and increased atmospheric mixing, before partially recovering in the post-monsoon period. These findings underscore that NH₃-driven secondary PM formation is not a marginal contributor but a seasonally dominant pathway for PM₂.₅ in Haryana,” said Ronak Sutaria, Founder and CEO, Respirer Living Sciences.
Livestock and Agricultural Sources: A District-level Lens
Haryana's livestock population is highly concentrated in a small number of districts. Hisar leads with 9.2% of the state's total livestock, followed by Sirsa (8.0%), Jind (7.8%), Bhiwani (6.5%), and Kaithal (5.6%). These same districts coincide with elevated NH₃ readings in the monitoring network, reinforcing the agriculture-ammonia-PM₂.₅ nexus identified in the World Bank research.
Animal waste and synthetic fertilizer application in these high-livestock districts are the primary NH₃ emission pathways. Without real-time, source-specific monitoring in rural agricultural zones, policymakers lack the data to design effective interventions — whether improved manure management practices, optimised fertilizer application timing, or targeted agricultural extension services.
"Haryana sits at the intersection of intensive agriculture, rapid industrialisation, and high population density. Our data shows that ammonia is no longer just an agricultural footnote — it is a measurable, growing contributor to the PM₂.₅ that millions of people breathe every day. A dedicated NH₃ monitoring network is the logical and necessary next step."
— Ronak Sutaria, Founder and CEO, Respirer Living Sciences
The World Bank's assessment of Haryana's air quality crisis directly validates the concerns raised in this report. It explicitly identifies ammonia and nitrogen-gas emissions from agriculture as a priority requiring urgent action, acknowledges that control measures are not yet embedded in government programs, and concludes that data on ammonia emissions from fertilizers and livestock waste is currently lacking. Respirer Living Sciences' recommendation for a pilot real-time NH₃ monitoring network (spanning urban hotspots and high-livestock rural districts) directly supports the kind of ground-level evidence base.
Recommendation: A Pilot NH₃ Monitoring Network
The report recommends a 10-sensor pilot ammonia monitoring network across Haryana with five sensors placed in high-pollution urban areas such as Gurugram, Faridabad, and Sonipat, and five in farm-heavy districts like Hisar, Sirsa, and Jind where livestock numbers are highest. Together, these could give policymakers, for the first time, a real-time picture of where ammonia is coming from and how it is worsening the air people breathe. "We know ammonia is a problem and the data makes that clear. However, a dedicated system to track it in real time, at the source, is missing. The Haryana Pollution Control Board, the Union Environment Ministry, and the Agriculture Ministry can come together and support such a network. Ten sensors, two kinds of locations, one goal: cleaner air for Haryana,” said Sutaria.
The analysis also makes clear that air quality management planning continues to treat pollution as a primary emissions problem, while largely ignoring the secondary particulate matter that forms when ammonia reacts with pollutants from transport and industry, a pathway responsible for 30–40% of the PM₂.₅ that people breathe. The siting of existing monitoring stations also warrants a fresh look, with several positioned so close to industrial zones that they are unlikely to capture the agricultural ammonia that rural and peri-urban populations are exposed to.
