Delhi ranked world’s most polluted capital once again, according to the 2024 World Air Quality Report published on March 11 by the Swiss air quality technology company IQAir. India‘s 2024 rating as the fifth most polluted nation is a minor improvement over its 2023 ranking of third. India is home to thirteen of the twenty most polluted cities in the world, with Byrnihat in Meghalaya recording the worst pollution levels globally.

The average PM2.5 concentration in India decreased by 7% from 54.4 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023 to 50.6 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. Nonetheless, India continues to have six of the top 10 most polluted cities in the world, underscoring the ongoing air quality problem.

Delhi’s Air Quality Remains Hazardous

Delhi’s air pollution is still a serious problem, even with a minor improvement. In 2024, the city’s average annual PM2.5 concentration was 91.6 micrograms per cubic meter, which was lower than the 92.7 micrograms per cubic meter recorded in 2023. Delhi ranked the world’s most polluted capital due to its persistently high pollution levels, which remain a cause for concern despite slight improvements. Delhi is one of 13 Indian cities that rank in the top 20 most polluted cities in the world, along with Byrnihat, Mullanpur (Punjab), Faridabad, Loni, New Delhi, Gurugram, Ganganagar, Greater Noida, Bhiwadi, Muzaffarnagar, Hanumangarh, and Noida.

A startling 35% of Indian cities recorded PM2.5 levels that were more than ten times higher than the WHO’s recommended threshold of 5 micrograms per cubic meter, which poses serious health hazards.

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Health Impact and Urgent Need for Action

Studies show that air pollution lowers life expectancy in India by about 5.2 years, making it a major public health concern. According to a study published in The Lancet Planetary Health, extended exposure to PM2.5 was responsible for approximately 1.5 million fatalities in India annually between 2009 and 2019. PM2.5 particles, which are smaller than 2.5 microns, can enter the bloodstream and lungs deeply, raising the dangers of cancer, heart disease, and respiratory ailments.

The former Chief Scientist at WHO, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, stressed that although air quality monitoring in India has improved, practical steps are still lacking. She emphasized the necessity of both incentives and stringent enforcement, which includes making sure industries adhere to emission laws, enforcing penalties on high-emission vehicles, and increasing public transportation. Swaminathan also advocated for increased LPG subsidies to deter the burning of biomass, a significant pollution source.

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