15 of 24 Haryana cities among 100 most polluted in India, says report

Fifteen out of 24 cities in Haryana ranked among India's 100 most polluted cities based on PM2.5 levels in the first half of 2024, according to a new analysis.

According to India's National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), safe limits for PM2.5 and PM10 annual levels are 40 micrograms per cubic metre and 60 micrograms per cubic metre, respectively.

However, these limits are much higher than the World Health Organization's (WHO) 2021 guidelines, which recommend 5 micrograms per cubic metre for PM2.5 and 15 micrograms per cubic metre for PM10.

Air quality data from January to June showed that every city in Haryana exceeded both NAAQS and WHO PM10 standards.

Faridabad was the most polluted city in Haryana, with an average PM2.5 level of 103 micrograms per cubic metre, far above NAAQS and WHO guidelines.

Only three cities -- Palwal, Ambala, and Mandikhera -- managed to keep PM2.5 levels below the NAAQS limits.

Gurugram had the highest PM10 concentration at 227 micrograms per cubic metre while Ambala recorded the lowest at 79 micrograms per cubic metre.

"All 24 cities in Haryana overshot the WHO standards for particulate matter in the first half of the year. Although some cities have not yet surpassed the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) due to their more lenient thresholds, this disparity highlights that current national standards may be insufficient for protecting public health. A revision is needed to align more closely with international recommendations," said Manoj Kumar, an analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).

Although many cities in Haryana have poor air quality, only Faridabad is currently part of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). Other cities with persistent pollution problems lack action plans to address the issue.

India launched the NCAP in 2019 with a target to reduce particulate pollution by 20-30 per cent by 2024, using 2017 as the base year. The target was revised to a 40 per cent reduction by 2026, using 2019-20 as the base year.

However, the programme currently covers only 131 non-attainment cities -- those that consistently failed to meet national ambient air quality standards between 2011 and 2015.

Air quality is equally poor in smaller cities, towns and villages since pollution doesn't respect state or national borders, experts argue.

They have urged for the adoption of an airshed approach to manage air pollution in the region.

An airshed refers to a geographic area where air quality is influenced by similar factors, such as wind patterns and pollution sources. Since pollution in one area can easily spread to neighbouring regions, an airshed approach promotes coordinated efforts across states.

CREA said NCAP should be revised to include a stronger institutional framework that promoted coordination among states, cities and agencies.

This would ensure effective long-term management of air quality, requiring better monitoring systems, transparent data sharing, and strict enforcement to reduce pollution and protect public health, it said.