Air quality: India third most polluted after Bangladesh, Pakistan in 2023, reveals report

NT Bureau, Agencies

New Delhi: India was the third most polluted country globally in 2023 with regard to air pollution, according to the sixth Annual World Air Quality Report released on Tuesday by the Swiss technology company IQAir.

Bangladesh was the top ranking country followed by Pakistan. The report said that Delhi was the most polluted national capital, while Bihar’s Begusarai was the most polluted metropolitan area of 2023 globally.

India is home to 12 out of the world’s top 15 ranked cities with regard to air pollution.

These are: Guwahati, Greater Noida, Siwan, Saharsha, Goshaingaon, Katihar, Bettiah, Samastipur, Muzaffarnagar, Gurugram, Arrah and Dadri. The report analysed PM2.5 data from 7,812 cities across 134 countries, regions and territories.

PM2.5 refers to tiny airborne particles that are about 30 times smaller than the width of a human hair and can easily be breathed into the lungs and the bloodstream.

The volume of such particles is measured in micrograms per cubic metre of air (μg/m³). One µg/m3 means that one cubic metre of air contains one microgram of suspended particulate matter.

PM2.5 is one of six common airborne pollutants that are monitored and re gulated by environmental agencies worldwide, including by India’s Central Pollution Control Board, due to its significant impacts on human health and the environment.

Common components of PM2.5 include sulfates, black carbon, nitrates and ammonium. Humanmade sources of PM2.5 include combustion engines, industrial processes, power generation, burning of coal and wood, agricultural activities and construction.

IQAir’s report found the average annual concentration of PM2.5 in India exceeded the World Health Organization’s prescribed annual threshold by more than 10 times.

The World Health Organization’s Global Air Quality Guidelines prescribed a “safe” annual average PM2.5 concentration of 5μg/m³. The annual average concentration of PM2.5 in India stood at 54.4μg/m³ in 2023.