World Air Quality Report – India Rank

In India, the transport industry is responsible for 20–35% of PM2.5 pollution in the country. The use of biomass fuels, industrial plants, and coal-fired power plants also contributes to the deterioration of air quality. Delhi ranks fourth among the 50 most polluted cities in the world. The city with the worst air pollution is Lahore in Pakistan, followed by Hotan in China.

Third place goes to Bhiwadi from Rajasthan. According to the data, Delhi’s PM2.5 concentration is about 20 times the recommended level. The study distinguishes between ‘big’ Delhi and the capital, New Delhi, as historically, Delhi was the most polluted capital in the world.

Both cities are in the top 10, but Chad’s N’Djamena has the dubious reputation of being the world’s most polluted capital.

• Pollution levels have decreased in NCR areas such as Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, and Faridabad.
• Data show that PM 2.5 levels increased by 34% in Gurugram and by 21% in Faridabad compared to the average levels of the previous year.
• Temperatures rose by 8°C in Delhi. Pollution levels have significantly decreased in 31 cities, including 10 in Uttar Pradesh and 7 in Haryana, according to the study.
• The study found that a total of 38 cities and municipalities had seen pollution levels rise in recent years compared to the national average.
• The survey found that Kolkata was the most polluted of the six major cities, followed by Delhi.
• Chennai, on the other hand, was considered the cleanest country, with contamination levels “only” five times the safe limit recommended by the WHO. Since 2017, pollution levels in the major cities of Hyderabad and Bangalore have been above average.

Urban areas attract people looking for better lives and job possibilities. However, increasing urbanization adds to high levels of air pollution, which has serious consequences for public health. It contributes to the spread of illnesses including cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems, type 2 diabetes, and respiratory infections. These disorders’ repercussions contribute to premature death rates.

For healthy air, the World Health Organization (WHO) has produced Air Quality Guidelines that propose an outdoor refined particle pollution concentration of 5 micrograms per cubic meter. However, the air quality regulations in many major global cities do not satisfy the WHO requirements.