Different reports analysing hazardous ultra fine particulate matters (PM2.5 and PM10), released on completion of four years of NCAP on Tuesday, show that most cities in the top 10 most polluted list of 2022 are from the Indo-Gangetic Plain, demonstrating the need for an airshed approach for better air pollution management in the region beyond Delhi.
Unlike 10 most polluted cities, the least polluted 10 cities, on the other hand, represent a more diverse part of the country. The cleanest city with a PM 2.5 concentration of 26.33 ug/m3 is Srinagar whereas Kohima emerged as the cleanest in terms of PM10 concentration with 26.77 ug/m3 in 2022.
“Gorakhpur in UP, touted for its air quality management efforts, features in the cleanest cities list for both PM 2.5 and PM 10. Among the least polluted non-attainment cities last year, nine of the 10 cities have, however, breached the annual permissible limit of 60 micrograms per cubic meter (ug/m3) for PM 10, indicating the air isn’t safe even in the cleanest cities,” said the analysis, done by not-for profit organisation, Climate Trends.
Delhi’s PM2.5 levels improved by over 7% in 2022 compared to 2019, but the capital ranked the most polluted with an annual average PM 2.5 concentration of 99.71 µg/m3 last year — more than double of the acceptable limit. Under National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), the annual average prescribed standards for PM2.5 is 40 µg/m3. In terms of PM10 levels, Ghaziabad emerged the most polluted followed by Faridabad and Delhi in 2022. The national capital recorded an annual average PM10 concentration of 213.24 µg/m3 in 2022 against the acceptable limit of 60 µg/m3.
