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Indian Cities Continue to Lead in Air Pollution
Despite some improvements, Indian cities still hold the top position globally on the list of the most polluted cities by fine particulate matter, according to a report from Swiss company IQAir published on Tuesday.
The list also includes some areas in Pakistan and the capital of Chad, N'Djamena. Data showed that levels of fine particulate matter, specifically "PM2.5," which have diameters of less than 2.5 microns, reached an average of 50.6 micrograms per cubic meter in India, which is more than double the level recommended by the World Health Organization, according to the report prepared with support from Greenpeace.
Compared to 2023, pollution levels decreased by 7%, but 14 out of the 20 most polluted cities in the world from these harmful particles are located in India. Emissions from factories and vehicles, along with agricultural fires and waste burning, are the main sources of these particles.
N'Djamena, the capital of Chad, ranked seventh, and New Delhi ranked ninth, are among the most polluted capitals, surpassing Dhaka, Kinshasa, and Islamabad.
The report relied on data from over 40,000 air quality monitoring stations in 8,954 locations across 138 countries and regions, with public institutions managing a third of these stations, while the report does not depend on data from satellites or digital models.
Chad, which was not included in last year's report, is the most polluted this year with an average of 91.8 micrograms per cubic meter, due to the influence of the Bodélé Desert, a major source of dust. It is followed by Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and India in the ranking of the most polluted countries.
