Between Oct ’22 and Sept ’23, Delhi most polluted city in country: Report
Patna came a close second on the list with a PM2.5 concentration of 99.7 µg/m3, followed by Muzaffarpur, also in Bihar, with a level of 95.4 µg/m3 during this period.
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The cities where the monitors recorded data for more than 70% of the time for both years were considered for analysis. Delhi was found to be the most polluted among 73 cities where the monitor uptime was more than 70%. (Express File Photo) Even as its air quality has “improved marginally,” Delhi topped a list of the 10 most polluted cities in the country from October 2022 to September 2023, according to a recent report that analysed data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Going by the report by Climate Trends, a research-based consulting initiative that focuses on environment and climate change, and Respirer Living Sciences, a climate tech start-up, Delhi recorded a PM2.5 level of 100.1 µg/m3 from October 1, 2022, to September 30, 2023. While this is slightly better than the 103.9 µg/m3 recorded from October 2021 to September 2022, the Capital was still found to be the most polluted city in the country.
Patna came a close second on the list with a PM2.5 concentration of 99.7 µg/m3, followed by Muzaffarpur, also in Bihar, with a level of 95.4 µg/m3 during this period. Faridabad, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Meerut, which are all in the NCR, followed on the list.
The PM2.5 levels in Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Noida, and Meerut have also decreased compared to figures from October 2021 to September 2022, with the largest percentage fall of 25% being noticed in Ghaziabad.
The report draws on CPCB data for 131 non-attainment cities identified by the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).
The cities where the monitors recorded data for more than 70% of the time for both years were considered for analysis. Delhi was found to be the most polluted among 73 cities where the monitor uptime was more than 70%.
Last winter, from October to December, PM2.5 levels dropped in Delhi, Faridabad, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Meerut in the NCR compared to figures from the same period in 2021, going by the report. While this indicates an improvement in air quality, the report stated, “How much of this was due to climatic factors (rain, wind) and how much due to policy intervention is a matter of deeper study.”
In Delhi, for instance, the PM2.5 level from October to December last year was 157.1 µg/m3, down from 174.4 µg/m3 in 2021. In contrast, from January to March this year, Delhi saw a marginal increase in PM2.5 levels from 121.2 µg/m3 last year to 124.2 µg/m3 this year, though this is still below the 149.3 µg/m3 recorded from January to March 2021. The report noted that this indicates “that more measures are needed to reduce pollution consistently.”
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