Delhi most polluted capital city in world: Report
The excessive ranges of air air pollution in Delhi are a matter of concern. According to a report by Swiss organisation, IQAir, India’s capital is the most polluted capital city in the world. It mentioned that though Delhi’s air high quality improved by almost 15 per cent from 2019 to 2020, the city nonetheless ranked because the tenth most polluted city in the world and the most polluted capital.
The ‘World Air Quality Report 2020’ added that 22 of the world’s 30 most polluted cities together with Delhi are in India. Ghaziabad, a city in Uttar Pradesh and part of the National Capital Region of Delhi, is the second most polluted city in the world after Xinjiang in China. The eight Indian cities in the highest 10 listing are — Bulandshahar, Bisrakh Jalalpur, Noida, Greater Noida, Kanpur, Lucknow (all in UP), Bhiwari in Rajasthan and Delhi.
The different Indian cities among the many 30 most polluted cities in the world embrace Meerut, Agra and Muzaffarnagar (all in Uttar Pradesh), Faridabad, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad, Bandhwari, Gurugram, Yamuna Nagar, Rohtak and Dharuhera (all in Haryana), and Muzaffarpur in Bihar.
“India continues to feature prominently at the top of the most polluted cities ranking, with 22 of the top 30 most polluted cities globally,” the report mentioned.
READ MORE: Air air pollution killed 54,000 individuals in Delhi in 2020: Study
The world cities rating report is predicated on PM2.5 knowledge from 106 international locations, which is measured by ground-based monitoring stations, most of that are operated by authorities businesses. The report additionally reveals the affect of COVID-19 lockdown and behavioural modifications on world particulate air pollution (PM2.5) ranges.
Major sources of India’s air air pollution embrace transportation, biomass burning for cooking, electrical energy era, trade, building, waste burning and episodic agricultural burning. “The transportation sector is among the main contributors to India’s main PM2.5 emission sources throughout cities,” the report mentioned.
Contextualising the worldwide IQAir report in the Indian context, Avinash Chanchal, Climate Campaigner at Greenpeace India mentioned whereas many cities, together with Delhi, have recorded marginal enhancements in air high quality on account of lockdowns, the well being and financial value of air air pollution stay extreme. He mentioned it’s pertinent that governments prioritise sustainable and clear vitality sources, in addition to the cities, must encourage low value, lively and carbon-neutral mobility selections similar to strolling, biking, and accessible public transport.
“Speeding up the transition to wash vitality and clear transport not solely saves lives but additionally dramatically reduces healthcare-related prices,” Chanchal mentioned.
“The year 2020 brought an unexpected dip in air pollution. In 2021, we will likely see an increase in air pollution due to human activity, again. We hope this report will highlight that urgent action is both possible and necessary to combat air pollution, which remains the world’s greatest environmental health threat,” mentioned CEO of IQAir Frank Hammes.
Notably, India was residence to 35 of the world’s 50 most polluted cities in 2020, in accordance with IQAir’s 2020 World Air Quality Report.
Earlier in February, a Greenpeace Southeast Asia evaluation of IQAir knowledge mentioned that air air pollution attributable to hazardous PM2.5 advantageous particulate matter led to the demise of 54,000 individuals in Delhi in 2020 the place air pollution ranges remained nearly six instances above the prescribed WHO limits. It mentioned that 1800 deaths per million have been estimated on account of PM2.5 air air pollution in Delhi.
READ MORE: Kejriwal authorities earmarks Rs 9,394cr to take care of air pollution in Delhi
(With PTI Inputs)
