Sign In
Learn bits
Ecology & Environment, Index & Reports
Mahesh

16/03/23 08:48 AM IST

Delhi ranks #4 on list of world’s most polluted cities

In News
  • Delhi ranked fourth on a list of 50 of the world’s most polluted cities in terms of PM2.5 levels in 2022, according to the World Air Quality Report prepared by IQAir.
Major Findings
  • Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland and New Zealand met the World Health Organization (WHO) PM2. .5 guideline (annual average of 5 Aug/m3 or less).
  • Chad, Iraq, Pakistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh are the 5 most polluted countries in 2022.
  • Delhi had an average PM2.5 level of 92.6 μg/m3 in 2022, a little below the average of 96.4 μg/m3 in 2021.
  • The report makes a distinction between New Delhi and Delhi, with New Delhi having an annual average PM2.5 level of 89.1 μg/m3.
  • Lahore was the most polluted city in the world, followed by Hotan in China, and Bhiwadi in Rajasthan.
  • New Delhi is the second most polluted capital city in the world, with N’Djamena in Chad topping the list.
  • A total of 39 Indian cities (including ‘Delhi’ and ‘New Delhi’) are on the list of 50 of the world’s most polluted cities based on annual average PM2.5 levels in 2022.
Findings about India
  • In India, the transport industry is responsible for 20–35% of the country’s PM2.5 pollution. The use of biomass fuels, industrial facilities, and coal-fired power plants are other contributors of air quality degradation.
  • Pollution levels have decreased in NCR areas including Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, and Faridabad.
  • According to the data, Gurugram had a 34% decrease in PM 2.5 levels and Faridabad saw a 21% decrease from the average levels observed in prior years.
  • The research claims that pollution levels have significantly decreased in 31 cities, including 10 cities in Uttar Pradesh and 7 cities in Haryana.
  • According to the survey, there has been an increase in pollution in 38 cities and towns overall compared to the national average over the previous years.
  • The survey placed Kolkata as the most polluted of the six major cities, followed by Delhi. Chennai, on the other hand, was said to be the cleanest, with pollution there “only” 5 times the WHO-recommended safe threshold. Since 2017, pollution levels in the major cities of Hyderabad and Bengaluru have been higher than average.
About PM 2.5
  • PM 2.5 is an atmospheric particulate matter of diameter of fewer than 2.5 micrometres, which is around 3% the diameter of a human hair.
  • PM 2.5 particles are small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream, and long-term exposure to PM 2.5 can lead to lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, and other chronic health conditions.
Source- Indian Express

More Related Current Affairs View All

21 Jan

UGC’s draft regulation has serious constitutional issues

'The draft regulation by the University Grants Commission (UGC) on the selection and appointment of vice chancellors of universities has evoked protests by non-Bharatiya Janata Par

Read More

20 Jan

ILO report about international migrants

'International migrants reached 284.5 million, 255.7 million of them belong to the global working-age population (aged 15 and over).' International migrants are defined as perso

Read More

20 Jan

World Economic Forum

'The World Economic Forum (WEF) is holding its Annual Meeting from January 20 to 24 in Davos, Switzerland.' Attendees will include European Commission President Ursula von der L

Read More

India’s First Ai-Driven Magazine Generator

Generate Your Custom Current Affairs Magazine using our AI in just 3 steps