Kiera Jefferson
India is one of the most polluted countries in the world, with 84 of the world's 100 most polluted cities. In 2023, India was ranked as the third most polluted country, with an average population-weighted fine particulate matter (PM) 2.5 concentration of 54.4 micrograms per cubic meter. The following year, India's ranking improved to fifth, although it still had 13 of the 20 most polluted cities globally. Delhi, the capital city, has consistently ranked as the most polluted capital city worldwide. The main contributors to India's air pollution include industrial and vehicular emissions, construction dust and debris, and the dependence on thermal power for electricity. The worsening air pollution in the country has severe health implications for its residents, with over a million premature deaths attributed to air pollution each year.
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What You'll Learn
India's air pollution levels in 2024
India's air pollution levels remain a serious environmental issue in 2024. In March 2024, India was ranked as the third most polluted country globally, with an average population-weighted fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration of 54.4 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3). This is over 10 times the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline value of 5 µg/m3.
New Delhi, the capital of India, is the most polluted capital city in the world. In November 2024, the air quality index of New Delhi dropped into the 'severe' category, with a hazardous reading of 1,081. This led the government to order schools to close and construction to cease. The National Capital Region witnessed a 10% increase in PM2.5 levels, peaking at a monthly average of 255 µg/m3.
The main contributors to India's particulate air pollution include industrial and vehicular emissions, construction dust and debris, dependence on thermal power for electricity, waste burning, and the use of fuel wood, biomass, and dung for cooking and heating in low-income and rural households. India has a low per capita emission of greenhouse gases, but as the third-largest producer of greenhouse gases globally, the country emits about 3 gigatonnes of CO2eq annually.
To combat air pollution, India launched the National Clean Air Programme in 2019, aiming for a 20-30% reduction in PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations by 2024, with 2017 as the base year. Other initiatives include the 1,600-kilometre-long Great Green Wall of Aravalli, a green ecological corridor, and the planting of 1.35 billion new native trees over 10 years. Despite these efforts, air pollution in India continues to have devastating effects, contributing to approximately 2 million premature deaths every year and causing respiratory and cardiovascular conditions.
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India's most polluted cities
India is the third most polluted country globally, after Bangladesh and Pakistan. India's PM 2.5 concentration value is over ten times the World Health Organization's (WHO) guideline value of 5 μg/m3. In 2019, 21 of the world's 30 most polluted cities were in India. A 2016 study found that at least 140 million people in India breathe air that is ten times or more over the WHO safe limit.
New Delhi, India's capital, is the most polluted capital city in the world, with an average PM 2.5 concentration of 102.1 µg/m3, 20 times over the WHO limit and more than two and a half times over the national limit of 40 µg/m3. Pollution in Delhi reached drastic levels following Diwali celebrations, when the illegal use of firecrackers pushed the city's pollution levels above Lahore's. The air quality index of New Delhi dropped into the 'severe' category in November 2024, with the city's air quality rated as hazardous at 1,081. The government ordered schools to close and construction to cease to tackle the issue.
The 2023 report by IQAir, a Swiss air quality technology company, identified Begusarai in Bihar, India, as the most polluted metropolitan area globally, with a PM 2.5 value of 118.9 µg/m3. Guwahati in northeast India followed with 105.4 µg/m3.
India has a low per capita emission of greenhouse gases, but the country is the third-largest producer of greenhouse gases after China and the United States. India emits about 3 gigatonnes of CO2eq of greenhouse gases each year, about two and a half tons per person, which is less than the world average. The country emits 7% of global emissions, despite having 17% of the world's population.
Air pollution in India has severe health impacts, contributing to the premature deaths of 2 million Indians every year. A 2013 study on non-smokers found that Indians have 30% weaker lung function than Europeans. The government of India launched the National Clean Air Programme in 2019, with a tentative national target of a 20-30% reduction in PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations by 2024, with 2017 as the base year for comparison.
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India's pollution compared to other countries
India's pollution problem is well-documented and the country has been described as having "secured all other possible top spots for pollution". In 2023, India was ranked as the third most polluted country globally, after Bangladesh and Pakistan.
In 2019, 21 of the 30 most polluted cities in the world were in India. The air in these cities contains 10 times the safe limit of pollutants, as defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The capital, New Delhi, has been described as the world's most polluted city, with air quality at a hazardous level. In 2018, it was reported that India was the most polluted country on Earth.
The main contributors to India's air pollution are industrial and vehicular emissions, construction dust and debris, dependence on thermal power for electricity, waste burning, and the use of wood and dung for cooking and heating by low-income and rural households. India has a large number of vehicles on the road, and traffic congestion in cities like Delhi is extreme, causing a build-up of local pollution. In addition, agricultural burning is a significant source of pollution, with millions of farmers burning rice stubble after their harvests.
India has a low per capita emission of greenhouse gases, but as the country has 17% of the world's population, it emits 7% of global emissions. India is the third-largest producer of greenhouse gases after China and the United States.
The effects of pollution on the health of Indians are severe. A 2013 study found that Indians have 30% weaker lung function than Europeans. A Lancet study estimated that in 2019, 1.67 million deaths were caused by worsening air pollution in India. Another study published in The Lancet estimated that in 2017, air pollution killed 1.24 million Indians, half of whom were younger than 70. The health impacts of air pollution include an elevated risk of heart attacks and strokes, increased risk of asthma, reduced foetal growth, stunted development of children's lungs, and cognitive impairment.
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Causes of India's air pollution
India has consistently ranked among the most polluted countries in the world. In 2023, it was the third-most polluted country globally, after Bangladesh and Pakistan. New Delhi, the capital, is the most polluted capital city in the world, with an average PM 2.5 concentration of 102.1 µg/m3, which is 20 times over the WHO limit.
India's air pollution has various causes, including:
Vehicular Emissions: Dense vehicular traffic in cities like Delhi contributes significantly to air pollution. The contamination of gasoline with kerosene, due to gas pricing policies, further exacerbates the problem. The transition to zero-emission vehicles has been slow, and vehicle emissions are a major source of pollution, especially in metro areas.
Industrial Emissions: Industrial pollution accounts for 51% of India's air pollution. The country has a large number of factories, particularly in the north, that release harmful emissions into the atmosphere.
Thermal Power Plants: India's dependence on thermal power for electricity contributes to air pollution, particularly in Delhi, which has several small thermal stations.
Construction: Construction dust and debris are major contributors to particulate air pollution. In Delhi, for example, construction, along with factories and thermal stations, are the main polluters.
Crop Burning: During autumn and spring, large-scale crop residue burning in agricultural fields is a cheaper alternative to mechanical tilling, but it releases massive amounts of smoke, smog, and particulate pollution into the atmosphere.
Biomass Burning: The use of fuel wood, cow dung, and other biomass sources for cooking and heating, particularly in rural and low-income households, is a significant source of air pollution. This practice leads to the near-permanent haze and smoke observed over India in satellite images.
Other factors contributing to India's air pollution include waste burning and the use of cheap and dirty fuels by millions of households. The country's geography, with the Himalayas forming a barrier to the north, also prevents the dispersion of pollutants, trapping them in certain regions.
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India's pollution control initiatives
India has been ranked as the third most polluted country in the world in 2023, with New Delhi being the most polluted capital city globally. The country's PM 2.5 concentration value exceeds the World Health Organization's guideline value by over ten times. India's pollution problem is caused by a combination of industrial and vehicular emissions, construction dust and debris, dependence on thermal power, waste burning, and the use of wood and dung for cooking and heating in low-income and rural households. These issues have led to hazardous levels of air pollution, causing a major public health crisis.
To combat this, India has implemented several initiatives and programmes to reduce air pollution and improve air quality. Here are some of India's pollution control initiatives:
- National Clean Air Programme (NCAP): Launched in 2019, the NCAP aims to reduce PM 2.5 and PM 10 concentrations by 20-30% by 2024, using 2017 as the base year for comparison. It promotes city-specific air quality management plans and encourages collaboration across local and national jurisdictions.
- Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP): Many cities in India have activated the GRAP in response to poor air quality. Stage I of GRAP includes measures such as dust mitigation at construction sites, effective waste management, and regular road cleaning.
- Community-led Initiatives: India is empowering local communities to monitor air quality using low-cost sensors and mobile apps. This data is then used to advocate for policy changes and implement interventions. One such community-led study is the Building Healthy Cities Project, funded by USAID, where local volunteers were trained to be clean air guides, educate the community, and support advocacy efforts.
- Green Infrastructure Initiatives: India is promoting vertical gardens, green roofs, and urban forests to absorb pollutants and improve air quality in urban areas. One example is the Great Green Wall of Aravalli, a 1,600-kilometre-long and 5-kilometre-wide ecological corridor with 1.35 billion new native trees to be planted over a decade.
- Collaboration and Research: India is collaborating with international institutions and experts to address air pollution. For example, the Aerosol and Air Quality Research Facility was launched in partnership with Washington University in St. Louis to study air pollution in India.
- Clean Fuel and Transportation Initiatives: Several Indian cities have introduced cleaner fuel standards and promoted public transportation to reduce vehicular emissions.
- Odd-Even Rule: In November 2017, the Delhi government implemented a rationing method where cars with number plates ending in odd digits could only be driven on certain days, while even-numbered plates were allowed on the remaining days.
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Frequently asked questions
India was ranked as the third most polluted country in the world in 2023.
New Delhi is the most polluted capital city in the world.
Byrnihat in Meghalaya was the most polluted metropolitan area in India in 2024.
The main causes of pollution in India include industrial and vehicular emissions, construction dust and debris, dependence on thermal power for electricity, waste burning, and the use of wood and dung for cooking and heating.
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