A recent report placed India in the 8th position on the list of most polluted countries in 2022, with an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 53.3 micrograms per cubic metre.
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In 2021, India was the world’s fifth most polluted country, with an average PM2.5 level of 58.1 micrograms per cubic metre.
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Delhi placed four among the cities
Regarding the cities, Delhi secured the fourth pace with an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 92.6 micrograms per cubic metre, as per the fifth annual World Air Quality Report 2022 by IQAir released on Tuesday.
It stood behind Lahore in Pakistan (97.4 micrograms per cubic metre), Hotan in China (94.3 micrograms per cubic metre) and Bhiwadi in Rajasthan (92.7 micrograms per cubic metre).
There has been no change in Delhi’s ranking as it occupied fourth place globally in 2021, too, with an average PM2.5 concentration of 96.4 micrograms per cubic metre.
Notably, the annual safe limit the World Health Organization (WHO) prescribed is 5 micrograms per cubic metre.
A change in assessment of Delhi
Until 2021, Delhi was stuck with the world’s most polluted capital title for four consecutive years. But a significant change in assessment was applied this year. The report made a distinction between the capital and the much smaller area of ‘New Delhi’ with the overall Union Territory.
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As a result, New Delhi has been rated the second most regional polluted capital globally, with an average PM2.5 concentration of 89.1 micrograms per cubic metre after N’Djamena, Chad (89.7 micrograms per cubic metre).
Stubble burning is an important challenge
The report pinpointed that stubble burning is also an important challenge in the region but is a periodic phenomenon limited to a few areas, including Delhi and north India.
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“For the first time, they have considered two different geographical units – Delhi and New Delhi. New Delhi is slightly cleaner than the rest of Delhi. But overall, the finding is consistent with the downward trend noticed in other assessments for Delhi. The levels are still very high and require aggressive and time-bound multi-sector action to meet the clean air benchmark,” Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment, told TOI.
The latest report revealed that 12 of the 15 most polluted cities in Central and South Asia were in India.
Roughly 60% of Indian cities in the report experienced annual PM2.5 levels at least seven times higher than the WHO limit.
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