Shocking Pollution Levels: Assam's Byrnihat Worst Globally, Delhi Smothers Capitals

India Dominates List of World's Dirtiest Cities, Byrnihat Tops

New Delhi, March 11, 2025: Fifteen of the world's dirtiest 20 cities are Indian and Assam's Byrnihat tops the list, as per World Air Quality Report 2024 published by Swiss air quality technology firm IQAir.

India's present air pollution problem has been exposed by the report with Delhi remaining the dirtiest capital city in the world. India was ranked higher from its third place of 2023 when it became the fifth dirtiest country in the world in 2024.

India's Air Pollution Crisis

India recorded its PM2.5 level drop by 7% in 2024 to 50.6 micrograms per cubic meter from 54.4 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023, the report continued. Indian cities are the world's filthiest cities.

Air in Delhi deteriorated in 2024 as its average yearly PM2.5 concentration increased from 102.4 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023 to 108.3 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. The rest of the Indian cities included in the 20 most polluted cities' list are Mullanpur (Punjab), Faridabad, Loni, Gurugram, Ganganagar, Greater Noida, Bhiwadi, Muzaffarnagar, Hanumangarh, and Noida.

35% of Indian cities had PM2.5 concentrations more than 10 times the World Health Organization (WHO) standard of 5 micrograms per cubic meter per year, reports persisted.

Reasons for High Levels of Pollution

Byrnihat, a town lying on the boundary of Assam and Meghalaya, takes the lead considering intensive industrial emission from industrial locations like distilleries, iron and steel facilities. The issue of pollution of Delhi is further enhanced during winters on the grounds of adverse meteorological conditions, vehicular emission, burning of farm residues, crackers, and local pollution sources.

Air pollution poses a gigantic danger to India's public health and is reducing life expectancy by a quantifiable 5.2 years. It was caused by chronic indoor air pollution from the inhalation of PM2.5 air pollution that resulted in it, according to a recently published study of Lancet Planetary Health, for almost 1.5 million deaths each year between the years 2009 and 2019 in India.

PM2.5 particles that are less than 2.5 microns in diameter are able to enter the lungs and bloodstream and result in respiratory disease, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. The main weighted PM2.5 atmospheric pollution sources are exhausts from vehicles, point source industrial activity emissions, and crop and waste burning.

Global Comparison

Apart from India, one Pakistani city and three Chinese cities are part of the world's most polluted cities in the top 20. India dropped by overall pollution rankings but its cities still battled lethal air.

Need for Stringent Pollution Control Measures

India has enhanced air quality data collection but insufficient action is being implemented. Professional suggestions are being proposed for alternatives such as substituting the use of biomass with cleaner fuel sources such as LPG, enhancing the public transport system, and enhancing controls on industry and construction sectors to quantify the level of pollution.

Government agencies have introduced a range of measures to track air pollution, including the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), more stringent automobile emission norms, and encouraging electric vehicles. Executing emission controls remains an uphill battle, however.

Conclusion

While India experienced a moderate reduction in PM2.5, Indian cities have atrocious air pollution that is harmful to their health. Pollution control, stringent emissions standards, and the adoption of clean energy are the recipe for better air and a healthy populace.

Source: IQAir World Air Quality Report 2024