The 2022 World Air Quality Report revealed that India’s performance on the air pollution index in 2022 has been disappointing. Despite climbing three positions from the previous year, India ranks eighth on the list of nations with the poorest air quality. Chad, Iraq, Pakistan, Bahrain, and Bangladesh are topping the list. The report, conducted by IQAir, also highlights that 14 out of the world’s top 20 most polluted cities are located in India. The cities of Lahore (Pakistan), Hotan (China), and Bhiwadi (India) claim the top three spots on the list.
The research collected data on PM2.5 air quality from 7,323 cities across 131 nations, regions, and territories. Over 30,000 regulatory air quality monitoring stations and low-cost air quality sensors were utilized for this study, operated by various entities ranging from governmental bodies to citizen scientists. Only 13 of the profiled nations and regions have achieved annual PM2.5 concentrations at or below the World Health Organization’s recommended level of 5 g/m3. This report emphasizes the need to continue reducing air pollution and working towards environmental equity.
The top 20 most polluted cities in the world are:
1) Lahore, Pakistan
2) Hotan, China
3) Bhiwadi, India
4) Delhi, India
5) Peshawar, Pakistan
6) Darbhanga, India
7) Asopur, India
8) N’Djamena, Chad
9) New Delhi, India
10) Patna, India
11) Ghaziabad, India
12) Dharuhera, India
13) Baghdad, Iraq
14) Chapra, India
15) Muzzafarnagar, India
16) Faisalabad, Pakistan
17) Greater Noida, India
18) Bahadurgarh, India
19) Faridabad, India
