Polluted Cities in World Rank-India: Delhi-the Capital of Polluted Place
A new report points out that Byrnihat, Assam, is the world’s most polluted city, with India overwhelmingly consisting of 13 of the 20 cities in this world known for their highest standards of pollution. Such findings, backed by IQAir, a Swiss company that makes air quality measurement technology, were presented: It was wrong to say that Delhi was the most polluted city on earth.
Pollution Levels and Air Quality Trends in India
In 2023, which was bad when it ranked third among the most polluted in the world, India became the fifth best in 2024. Pollution is a critical concern in India, however. The report said that the PM2.5 levels in India declined 7% in 2024, averaging 50.6 micrograms per cubic meter, compared to the level of 54.4 micrograms per cubic meter in the previous year. It is noted that despite this improvement, six of the world’s ten most polluted cities are still in India.
Delhi registers a high annual PM2.5 density of 91.6 micrograms per cubic meter, marginally down from the 92.7 micrograms per cubic meter recorded in the preceding calendar year, 2023, concerning averages.
Most Polluted Cities in India
- Byrnihat (Assam)
- Delhi
- Mullanpur (Punjab)
- Faridabad
- Loni
- New Delhi
- Gurugram
- Ganganagar
- Greater Noida
- Bhiwadi
- Muzaffarnagar
- Hanumangarh
- Noida
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As per the report, 35% of Indian cities exceed PM2.5 standards that are greater than 10 times the WHO threshold of 5 micrograms/cubic meter, demonstrating the acute air pollution crisis in India. The impact of air pollution is among the most significant health challenges in India, which has reduced life expectancy by about 5.2 years. According to a study published last year in the Lancet Planetary Health, long-term exposure to PM2.5 could have contributed to the estimated deaths of 1.5 million people annually from the years 2009 to 2019.
PM2.5 refers to microscopic airborne pollution particles having a diameter of less than 2.5 microns, which can deeply penetrate the lungs and blood flow to cause serious health hazards, including respiratory disorders, heart ailments, and cancer. Some of the primary sources of pollution are vehicular emissions, industrial activity, and the burning of wood or crop residues.
Experts Urge for Immediate Action
India’s former chief scientist at the World Health Organization, Soumya Swaminathan, has cited improved air quality monitoring, but stronger intervention is required.
“We have the data; now we need action,” she said in an interview. “Some of the solutions are very simple, for example, replacing biomass cooking fuel with LPG. While India has an existing subsidy scheme for clean fuels, financial support should be enhanced for the poorest families to ensure that clean fuel is more affordable.”
Swaminathan focused on the following points:
- The expansion of public transport to decrease emissions from vehicles
- The tax of polluting vehicles to deter over-emitting
- Strict adherence to pollution laws for industries and construction works
