AQI: Delhi world's most polluted capital, Begusarai most polluted city

India has slipped in the world air quality index to be the third most polluted country, ranking just behind Bangladesh and Pakistan with average PM2.5 levels at 54.4 micrograms, up from 53.3 last year

Amid growing concerns about worsening air quality, India was the world’s third most polluted country last year out of 134 countries, according to a report by the Swiss organisation IQAir. The report titled, ‘World Air Quality Report 2023’, stated that with an average air annual PM2.5 concentration of 54.4 micrograms per cubic metre, the country was better than only two of its neighbouring countries - Bangladesh and Pakistan.

While Bangladesh remained the most polluted country in the world, with an average PM2.5 concentration of 79.9 micrograms per cubic metre, Pakistan was second, with a level of 73.7.

To make matters worse, the report also identified Delhi as the most polluted capital city in the world for the fourth consecutive time. Delhi’s PM2.5 concentration was recorded at 92.7 micrograms per cubic metre in 2023, an increase from 89.1 micrograms per cubic metre in 2022

The air quality situation has worsened when compared to the previous year (2022), when India ranked in eighth place, with an average PM2.5 level of 53.3 micrograms per cubic metre.

A surprise entrant in the beleaguered ranking was Bihar town Begusarai, which earned the grim tag of the most polluted metropolitan area globally. The city, which did not even figure in last year’s ranking, recorded an average PM2.5 concentration of 118.9 micrograms per cubic metre. 

The annual report by IQAir has further darkened the aspiration of citizens as despite several measures by the government and people’s collective, as well as new startups and environment-conscious company policies if failing to let alone show any improvement, the measures are falling short of keeping the air quality stable. The IQAir report for 2022 had stated that roughly 60 per cent of cities in India had recorded annual PM2.5 levels at least seven times higher than the WHO guidelines.

The 2022 World Air Quality Report included data from 7,323 locations in 131 countries, regions and territories. In 2023, those numbers have grown to include 7,812 locations in 134 countries, regions and territories.

Air pollution is estimated to cause one in every nine deaths across the globe. As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), air pollution has been known to cause around seven million premature deaths each year, mainly affecting individuals with health conditions such as asthma, cancer, and stroke, among others. It has also been noted that exposure to high levels of PM2.5 can impact the cognitive abilities of children, worsen existing conditions, as well as affect the mental health of individuals.

(with inputs from PTI)