World’s Most Polluted Cities: 13 of Top 20 From India

It is already known that many Indian cities are highly polluted but you will be surprised to learn that 13 of the top 20 polluted cities in the world are from India. According to The World Air Quality Report 2024 by IQAir, 13 cities in India are in the 20 most polluted cities in the world. Meanwhile, 19 of the 20 cities are from Asia.

Assam’s Byrnihat is in the top position on this list. Other Indian cities which are on the list are Delhi, Mullanpur (Punjab), Faridabad, Loni, New Delhi, Gurugram, Ganganagar, Greater Noida, Bhiwadi, Muzaffarnagar, Hanumangarh and Noida. Delhi has been named as the most polluted capital city in the world.

The report stated that 35% of Indian cities have annual PM 2.5 levels, which is 10 times more than the WHO limit of 5 micrograms per cubic metre. Reportedly, Air Pollution is one of the serious health risks in India, which reduces the life span of an individual by 5.2 years.

As per a Lancet Planetary Health study published last year, around 15 lakh deaths in India every year from 2009 to 2019 were related to long-term exposure to PM2.5 pollution.

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