With PM 2.5 levels more than twice the permissible limit and the third highest average PM10 concentration, according to new data from the Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi was the most polluted city in India in 2022.
According to a research by NCAP Tracker cited by PTI, PM2.5 pollution in the national capital has decreased by more than 7% over the course of four years, from 108 micrograms per cubic metre in 2019 to 99.71 micrograms per cubic metre in 2022.The NCAP Tracker project, a collaboration between the news site Carbon Copy and the Maharashtra-based start-up “Respirer Living Sciences,” tracks India’s progress toward attaining its clean air goals.
To reduce PM2.5 and PM10 levels in 102 cities by 20% to 30% by 2024, the Center established the National Clean Air Programme on January 10, 2019. (with 2017 being the base year). Some cities were later omitted from the list, while others were added.
According to the National Air Quality Monitoring Programme, 131 cities are currently classified as non-attainment cities because they failed to fulfil the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for the years 2011 to 2015. The government announced a new goal in September 2022: a 40% decrease in particulate matter concentration by 2026.
According to the analysis of CPCB statistics, Delhi (99.71 micrograms per cubic metre) was the most polluted city, followed by Faridabad in Haryana (95.64 micrograms per cubic metre) and Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh (91.25 micrograms per cubic metre).In terms of PM10 levels, Ghaziabad (217.57 micrograms per cubic metre) was the most polluted non-attainment city in the nation, followed by Delhi (213.23 micrograms per cubic metre) and Faridabad (215.39 micrograms per cubic metre).
For PM2.5 and PM10, the country’s current annual average safe levels are 40 and 60 micrograms per cubic metre, respectively.
