Believe it or not, 13 of the world’s top 20 most polluted cities are in India, the country we live in. We do not paint this grim picture, but it is released by the World Air Quality Report 2024 by Swiss air quality technology company IQAir.
The report states that Byrnihat in Assam has topped the list, while Delhi remains the most polluted capital city globally. India ranked fifth in 2024, down from third in 2023.
The report said India saw a 7 per cent decline in PM2.5 concentrations in 2024, averaging 50.6 micrograms per cubic meter, compared to 54.4 micrograms per cubic metre in 2023. Yet, India has six of the world’s 10 most polluted cities.
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The 13 Indian cities in the world’s top 20 most polluted cities are Byrnihat, Delhi, Mullanpur (Punjab), Faridabad, Loni, New Delhi, Gurugram, Ganganagar, Greater Noida, Bhiwadi, Muzaffarnagar, Hanumangarh and Noida.
Overall, 35 percent of Indian cities reported annual PM2.5 levels exceeding 10 times the WHO limit of 5 micrograms per cubic metre.
Delhi recorded consistently high pollution levels, with an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 91.6 micrograms per cubic meter, nearly unchanged from 92.7 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023.
Impact Of Air Pollution In India
According to another study published last year, about 1.5 million deaths in India every year from 2009 to 2019 were potentially linked to long-term exposure to PM2.5 pollution. The Lancet Planetary Health study shared the stats.
Former WHO chief scientist and health ministry advisor Soumya Swaminathan said India has progressed in air quality data collection but lacks sufficient action.
“We have the data; now we need action. Some solutions are easy like replacing biomass with LPG. India already has a scheme for this, but we must further subsidize additional cylinders. The first cylinder is free, but the poorest families, especially women, should receive higher subsidies. This will improve their health and reduce outdoor air pollution,” she told PTI in an interview.
