A recent report on air quality has highlighted a troubling situation in India, revealing that 13 of the world’s 20 most polluted cities are found in the country. The World Air Quality Report 2024, published by Swiss air quality firm IQAir, ranks Byrnihat in Assam as the most polluted city worldwide. Furthermore, Delhi has been identified as the world’s most polluted capital city. In the overall ranking, India sits in fifth place for pollution levels, showing a slight improvement from its third-place ranking in 2023.
Air Quality Trends in India
The report indicates that India has seen a 7% decrease in PM2.5 levels in 2024, with an average concentration of 50.6 micrograms per cubic meter, down from 54.4 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. Despite this positive change, six of the ten most polluted cities in the world are still located in India. Delhi reported a high annual average PM2.5 concentration of 91.6 micrograms per cubic meter, which is only a slight decrease from 92.7 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023.
The cities in India that made the top 20 list include Byrnihat (Assam), Delhi, Mullanpur (Punjab), Faridabad, Loni, New Delhi, Gurugram, Ganganagar, Greater Noida, Bhiwadi, Muzaffarnagar, Hanumangarh, and Noida. In terms of pollution, India ranks behind Chad, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Health Risks and Concerns
Air pollution continues to pose a significant health threat in India, potentially reducing life expectancy by an average of 5.2 years. Research conducted between 2009 and 2019, featured in The Lancet Planetary Health, attributed over 1.5 million deaths annually in India to long-term exposure to PM2.5 pollution. PM2.5 refers to tiny particles in the air that are smaller than 2.5 microns and can penetrate the bloodstream and lungs, increasing the risk of heart disease and respiratory issues. The primary sources of this pollution include the burning of biomass, industrial activities, and vehicle emissions.
A Call for Action
Soumya Swaminathan, a former WHO scientist and advisor to the health ministry, has called for urgent measures to tackle air pollution in India. She emphasized the importance of improving access to LPG for cooking, which could replace biomass burning and thus lower pollution both indoors and outdoors.
Swaminathan advocates for stricter pollution regulations and better public transport options. She suggests implementing a system of rewards and penalties, such as increased subsidies for LPG cylinders for low-income families and fines for businesses and vehicles contributing to pollution.
Experts agree that India needs to enforce air quality regulations more effectively, switch to cleaner energy sources, and enhance public transport to address this growing pollution issue that threatens both health and the environment.
