A new report on air quality released on Tuesday has painted a grim picture for India as 13 of the world’s top 20 most-polluted cities are within the country’s borders.
The World Air Quality Report 2024 by Swiss air quality technology company IQAir has picked Byrnihat in Assam as the most polluted city in the world. Delhi remains the most polluted capital city globally, while India ranked fifth in 2024, down from third in 2023.
According to the report, the country 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. With all those improvements, six of the world’s 10 most polluted cities are still in India.
Delhi recorded consistently high pollution levels, with an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 91.6 micrograms per cubic metre, nearly unchanged from 92.7 micrograms per cubic metre in 2023.
