In a worrying sign, 13 out of the 20 most polluted cities of the world are in India. Yes! You heard it right. The World Air Quality Report 2024 by Swiss air quality technology company IQAir has sent a worrying sign to India, outlining the dismal condition of the weather. IQAir Quality Report 2024 has termed Delhi as the most polluted capital of the world. Overall, India ranked as the world's fifth most polluted country in 2024, down from third in 2023. One of the cities on the unwanted list is from Punjab as well.
Which Punjab city is in IQAir Quality Report 2024?
The answer is Mullanpur. Punjab's Mullanpur ranks 4 in the world's most polluted cities as per the World Air Quality Report 2024. Byrnihat (Assam-Meghalaya Border) tops the unwanted chart. However, the report outlined India saw a 7 percent decline in PM2.5 concentrations in 2024, averaging 50.6 micrograms per cubic metre, compared to 54.4 micrograms per cubic metre in 2023. Yet, six of the world's 10 most polluted cities are in India.
As per reports, the air in Indian cities is so bad that in 35% of the cities, the level of small dust particles (PM2.5) in the air is 10 times more than the level prescribed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Due to this bad air, the health of people in India is in danger. The average lifespan of people is decreasing by about 5.2 years.
What is PM 2.5?
PM2.5 refers to microscopic pollution particles smaller than 2.5 microns present in the air. These particles can enter the lungs and blood, causing breathing problems, heart disease and even cancer. Its main sources include smoke from vehicles, industrial emissions, and the burning of wood and crop weeds.
List of 20 most polluted cities of the world
- Byrnihat (Assam-Meghalaya Border), India
- Delhi (India)
- Karaganda, Kazakhstan
- Mullanpur (Punjab), India
- Lahore, Pakistan
- Faridabad, India
- Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan
- N'Djamena, Chad
- Loni, India
- New Delhi, India
- Multan, Pakistan
- Peshawar, Pakistan
- Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Sailkot, Pakistan
- Gurugram, India
- Ganganagar, India
- Hotan, China
- Greater Noida, India
- Bhiwadi, India
- Muzzafarnagar, India