In the 21st century, air pollution has emerged as one of the biggest environmental health risks. Besides impacting human health, pollutants in the atmosphere are altering climate, thereby threatening the survival of millions of species inhabiting our planet.
Ghaziabad, Delhi, Lucknow are among the 21 Indian cities that figure in a list of 30 most polluted cities in the world in terms of PM2.5 levels in 2019, according to World Air Quality Report, which was compiled by IQAir with data shared by government-supported air quality monitoring stations.
10 cities with the cleanest air in India
One may think that in India, air pollution is everywhere, but this is not true, as several cities have successfully managed to keep their air clean. Mirror Now Digital, based on IQAir’s data, has compiled a list of 10 least air-polluted cities in India in terms of PM2.5 levels in 2019. Check the list below.
| Rank | City | PM2.5’s 2019 average (µg/m³) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Satna (Madhya Pradesh) | 15.5 |
| 2 | Kumbhori (Maharashtra) | 20.3 |
| 3 | Haldia (West Bengal) | 25.9 |
| 4 | Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh) | 26.4 |
| 5 | Katiya Kalan (Madhya Pradesh) | 27.7 |
| 6 | Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) | 27.9 |
| 7 | Chikkaballapur (Karnataka) | 28.8 |
| 8 | Bhatinda (Punjab) | 31.0 |
| 9 | Bengaluru (Karnataka) | 32.6 |
| 10 | Amravati (Andhra Pradesh) | 33.0 |
Air pollution rises in North India
Meanwhile, with the onset of winter, North India is once again inching towards the worst time of the year in terms of air quality. The air pollution levels in Delhi, on Thursday, touched ‘severe’ levels for a brief period before slipping back into the ‘very poor’ category. The share of stubble burning in the national capital’s PM2.5 pollution rose to 36 per cent on Thursday, Centre-run SAFAR said, adding that the wind speed is expected to pick up and the “improved ventilation is likely to influence air quality positively”.
Ordinance to tackle air pollution in Delhi-NCR
Furthermore, the Centre has introduced an ordinance to tackle the issue. Under the ordinance released by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice, the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) has been dissolved and replaced by a powerful 18-member commission.
