According to the ‘Global Air Quality’ study published by the Swiss company IQAir, India fell from the fifth to the eighth most polluted nation in the world in 2022. The research shows that the PM2.5 level in the most polluted Indian cities is 53.3. The two Indian cities that made the list of the most polluted cities in the world are Bhiwadi, which is a suburb of Delhi, and Delhi, which was not far behind at 92.6. At the same time, 39 out of 50 cities in the list of most polluted cities are from India.
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10 most polluted countries in the world
Rank | 10 most polluted countries in the world |
1 | Chad |
2 | Iraq |
3 | Pakistan |
4 | Bahrain |
5 | Bangladesh |
6 | Burkina Faso |
7 | Kuwait |
8 | India |
9 | Egypt |
10 | Tajikistan |
Key points of the reports:
Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland and New Zealand met the World Health Organization (WHO) PM2. .5 guideline (annual average of 5 Aug/m3 or less).
Countries that meet WHO PM2.5 guideline |
Australia |
Estonia |
Finland |
Grenada |
Iceland |
New zealand |
‘World Air Quality Report’ 2022: About India
- In India, the transport industry is responsible for 20–35% of the country’s PM2.5 pollution. The use of biomass fuels, industrial facilities, and coal-fired power plants are other contributors of air quality degradation.
- Among the top 50 most polluted cities worldwide, Delhi comes in at number four. The city with the highest pollution is Lahore, Pakistan, followed by Hotan, China. Rajasthan’s Bhiwadi is ranked third.
- According to the data, Delhi’s PM2.5 concentration is about 20 times higher than the recommended amount.
- The research makes a distinction between “big” Delhi and the capital city of New Delhi because Delhi has historically been the most polluted capital in the world. Both cities rank among the top 10, but N’Djamena, in Chad, has the dubious distinction of being the world’s most polluted capital.
- Pollution levels have decreased in NCR areas including Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, and Faridabad.
- According to the data, Gurugram had a 34% decrease in PM 2.5 levels and Faridabad saw a 21% decrease from the average levels observed in prior years.
- There has been an 8% decrease in Delhi.
- The research claims that pollution levels have significantly decreased in 31 cities, including 10 cities in Uttar Pradesh and 7 cities in Haryana.
- According to the survey, there has been an increase in pollution in 38 cities and towns overall compared to the national average over the previous years.
- The survey placed Kolkata as the most polluted of the six major cities, followed by Delhi. Chennai, on the other hand, was said to be the cleanest, with pollution there “only” 5 times the WHO-recommended safe threshold. Since 2017, pollution levels in the major cities of Hyderabad and Bengaluru have been higher than average.
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