13 of the 20 most-polluted cities in the world are in India; Delhi tops the list among capitals: Report

Thirteen of the worlds 20 mostpolluted cities are in India with Byrnihat in Assam topping the list according to a new report published on TuesdayThe World Air Quality Report 2024 by Swiss air quality technology company IQAir states that Delhi remains the mostpolluted capital city globally while India is ranked as the fifth mostpolluted country in 2024 marking an improvement from its third position in 2023 news agency PTI reportedFour cities in neighbouring Pakistan and one in China are also among the worldrsquos top 20 mostpolluted citiesThe report highlighted that India saw a 7 per cent decline in PM25 concentrations in 2024 averaging 506 micrograms per cubic metre compared to 544 micrograms per cubic metre in 2023 PTI reported Despite this 13 of the worldrsquos 20 most polluted cities are still in IndiaThe air pollution in Delhi has worsened with the annual average PM25 concentration rising from 1024 micrograms per cubic metre in 2023 to 1083 micrograms per cubic metre in 2024Apart from Byrnihat and Delhi the other cities that have been included in the list are Punjabrsquos Mullanpur Faridabad Loni in Uttar Pradesh Gurugram Ganganagar Rajasthan Greater Noida Bhiwadi Rajasthan Muzaffarnagar Hanumangarh Rajasthan and Noida PTI reportedHigh pollution levels in Byrnihat on AssamMeghalaya border attributed to emissions from local factoriesOverall 35 per cent of Indian cities reported annual PM25 levels exceeding 10 times the World Health Organization WHO limit of 5 micrograms per cubic metre the report statedThe high pollution levels in Byrnihat a town on the AssamMeghalaya border are attributed to emissions from local factories including distilleries and iron and steel plantsDelhi faces severe air pollution yearround worsened in winter by unfavourable meteorological conditions Combined with vehicular emissions paddystraw burning firecrackers and other local pollution sources these factors make the air quality hazardousAir pollution remains a significant health risk in India reducing life expectancy by an estimated 52 years According to a Lancet Planetary Health study published last year around 15 million deaths in India annually from 2009 to 2019 were potentially linked to longterm exposure to PM25 pollutionPM25 refers to fine air pollution particles smaller than 25 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 wasteFormer 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 pollutionExperts takeShe 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 DirectorGeneral of the Indian Council of Medical Research ICMRAvinash 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 PM25 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 lastmile connectivity he statedChanchal 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 addedVivek 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 shorttermism 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 effectivelyHe 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 yearlong contributors like old polluting trucksAgarwal also criticised the government for its narrow policy focus stating Measures like the oddeven 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 wellfunded regulatory overhaulWith PTI inputs