Many Indian cities in the list of world's most polluted cities

According to the report, Bhiwadi in Rajasthan, with a PM2.5 level of 92.7, was ranked as the most polluted city in India and the third most polluted city in the world. The report separated the national capital New Delhi from the greater Delhi metropolitan area, both of which were in the top 10 most polluted cities in the world. Delhi, in particular, emerged as the most polluted metropolis with a PM2.5 level of 92.6, nearly 20 times the safe limit. Delhi was ranked fourth in the list of the world's 50 most polluted cities.

Other Indian cities like Patna, Muzzaffarnagar, Dharbanga, Noida, Gurgaon, Bulandshahr, Meerut, Charkhi Dadri, Jind, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Dadri, Meerut, Hisar also feature in this list.

Additionally, India ranked 8th among 131 countries with a population-weighted average PM2.5 level of 53.3 μg/m3 in 2022. It was followed by Chad, Iraq, Pakistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso and Kuwait. Last year, the annual average PM2.5 levels of the countries were slightly lower than the 58.1 μg/m3 recorded in 2021.

IQAir is a Swiss air quality technology company that produces annual reports on world air quality based on data from monitoring stations operated by governments, organizations and other agencies around the world. The company's 2022 report is based on PM2.5 concentrations from 7,323 cities and 131 countries.

PM2.5 is the smallest pollutant, but also the most dangerous. When inhaled, PM2.5 penetrates deep into the lung tissue and from there enters the bloodstream. PM2.5 has been linked to a number of health problems including asthma, heart disease, and other respiratory illnesses. Sources of PM2.5 include fossil fuel combustion, dust storms, and wildfires.

According to VNA