Thirteen of the world`s 20 most-polluted cities are in India, with Byrnihat in Assam topping the list, according to a new report published on Tuesday.
The World Air Quality Report 2024 by Swiss air quality technology company IQAir states that Delhi remains the most-polluted capital city globally, while India is ranked as the fifth most-polluted country in 2024, marking an improvement from its third position in 2023, news agency PTI reported.
Four cities in neighbouring Pakistan and one in China are also among the world’s top 20 most-polluted cities.
The report highlighted that India saw a 7 per cent decline in PM2.5 concentrations in 2024, averaging 50.6 micrograms per cubic metre, compared to 54.4 micrograms per cubic metre in 2023, PTI reported. Despite this, 13 of the world’s 20 most polluted cities are still in India.
The air pollution in Delhi has worsened, with the annual average PM2.5 concentration rising from 102.4 micrograms per cubic metre in 2023 to 108.3 micrograms per cubic metre in 2024.
Apart from Byrnihat and Delhi, the other cities that have been included in the list are Punjab’s Mullanpur, Faridabad, Loni in Uttar Pradesh, Gurugram, Ganganagar (Rajasthan), Greater Noida, Bhiwadi (Rajasthan), Muzaffarnagar, Hanumangarh (Rajasthan), and Noida, PTI reported.
High pollution levels in Byrnihat on Assam-Meghalaya border attributed to emissions from local factories
Overall, 35 per cent of Indian cities reported annual PM2.5 levels exceeding 10 times the World Health Organization (WHO) limit of 5 micrograms per cubic metre, the report stated.
The high pollution levels in Byrnihat, a town on the Assam-Meghalaya border, are attributed to emissions from local factories, including distilleries and iron and steel plants.
Delhi faces severe air pollution year-round, worsened in winter by unfavourable meteorological conditions. Combined with vehicular emissions, paddy-straw burning, firecrackers, and other local pollution sources, these factors make the air quality hazardous.
Air pollution remains a significant health risk in India, reducing life expectancy by an estimated 5.2 years. According to a Lancet Planetary Health study published last year, around 1.5 million deaths in India annually from 2009 to 2019 were potentially linked to long-term exposure to PM2.5 pollution.
PM2.5 refers to fine air pollution particles smaller than 2.5 microns, which can penetrate the lungs and bloodstream, leading to respiratory issues, heart disease, and even cancer. The sources of these pollutants include vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions, and the burning of wood or crop waste.
Former WHO Chief Scientist and Health Ministry Advisor, Soumya Swaminathan, stated, “India has made progress in air quality data collection, but it lacks sufficient action. We have the data; we need action now. Some solutions are easy, like replacing biomass with LPG. India already has a scheme for this, but we must further subsidise 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.”
Experts` take
She also suggested that expanding public transport in cities and imposing fines on certain cars could help. “A mix of incentives and penalties is necessary,” she added. “Finally, strict enforcement of emission laws is crucial. Industries and construction sites must comply with regulations and install equipment to cut emissions instead of taking shortcuts,” said Swaminathan, the former Director-General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
Avinash Chanchal, Deputy Programme Director at Greenpeace South Asia, said the report once again highlighted that the steps being taken under clean air action plans to control pollution in India are not sufficient. “Numerous studies have identified emissions from road transport as one of the major contributors to PM2.5 concentrations in our cities. However, the government has failed to strengthen the public transport system. It lacks dedicated funding, and cities are struggling to add new bus fleets, build efficient public transport infrastructure, and ensure first and last-mile connectivity,” he stated.
Chanchal also emphasised that the government must treat mobility as a right, not a commodity, by creating a dedicated public transport fund. “This fund should ensure investments in public buses, fare subsidies, and the expansion of rapid mass transit systems,” he added.
Vivek Agarwal, Global Policy Expert and Country Director at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, said that despite numerous interventions, pollution in cities like Delhi remains intractable due to a fragmented regulatory environment, poor data collection, and “political short-termism.” “The regulatory institutions are fragmented. Pollution is a regional problem, but enforcement is left to individual state pollution control boards, which have little capacity to regulate or curb emissions effectively.”
He added, “Data on pollution remains unreliable, shielding violators from being identified and held accountable. This results in excessive focus on visible suspects like crop burning rather than silent year-long contributors like old polluting trucks.”
Agarwal also criticised the government for its narrow policy focus, stating, “Measures like the odd-even scheme serve as political theatre but fail to address systemic drivers like vehicular pollution and construction dust. What cities like Delhi need is not more stopgap measures but a centralised, well-funded regulatory overhaul.”
(With PTI inputs)
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