13 of the world’s top 20 most polluted cities are in India, and Assam’s Bernihat tops the list. This information was received from a new report published on Tuesday.
The World Air Quality Report of Switzerland’s air quality technology company ‘IQ’ said that Delhi has become the most polluted capital city globally, while India has become the fifth most polluted country in the world in 2024. India was third in this list in 2023.
The four cities of the neighboring country Pakistan and one city in China are among the top 20 polluted cities in the world.
The report stated that India saw a seven percent decline in PM 2.5 concentrations in 2024, which is average 50.6 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023 compared to 54.4 micrograms per cubic meter. Of the 20 most polluted cities in the world, 13 are in India.
Air pollution situation in Delhi is critical, the annual average PM 2.5 concentrations increased from 102.4 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023 to 108.3 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024.
The top 20 most polluted cities in the world include Assam’s city of Bernihat, Delhi, Mullamph in Punjab, Faridabad, Gurugram of Haryana, Loni, Noida, Greater Noida, Muzaffarnagar, Ganganagar, Bhiwadi and Hanumangarh in Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh.
The report said that 35 percent of the annual PM 2.5 level in Indian cities is 10 times higher than the World Health Organization.
The high level of pollution in the city of Bernihat on the border of Assam and Meghalaya is due to emissions from local factories, including alcohol manufacturing, iron and steel plants.
Delhi struggles with high air pollution throughout the year and this problem becomes worse in winter when adverse meteorological conditions, emissions from vehicles, paddy straw burning, smoke emanating from firecrackers and other local pollution sources together make the air quality dangerous.
Air pollution in India remains a serious health risk, due to which the age of the people is decreasing by 5.2 years.
According to the study ‘Lancet Planetary Health’ published last year, about 1.5 million people died every year in India from 2009 to 2019 due to potentially in contact with PM 2.5 pollution. The PM 2.5 refers to small air pollution particles from 2.5 μm, which can enter the lungs and blood vessels, which can cause problems in breathing, heart disease, and even cancer.
Sources of air pollution include smoke emanating from vehicles, industrial emissions and burning wood or straw.
Soumya Swaminathan, former Chief Scientist and Advisor to the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO), said that India has progressed in air quality data collection, but has not taken adequate action.
He said in an interview with ‘PTI-Bhasha’, “We have data, now we need action. Some solutions are easy such as replacing fossil fuels from LPG (liquefied petroleum gas). India already has a plan for this, but we should give more subsidy on additional cylinders. The first cylinder is free but the poorest families, especially women, should get more subsidies. This will improve their health and reduce external air pollution. ”
He said, “Extending public transport in cities and fines on some cars can help in this. A mixture of encouragement and punishment is necessary. ”
The former Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research said, “Finally, it is important to implement emission laws strictly. Industries and construction sites should follow the rules instead of adopting ‘shortcuts’ and install equipment to cut emissions. ”
