MOST POLLUTED CITIES IN INDIA

The Central Pollution Control Board and the State Pollution Control Boards are monitoring the ambient air quality across the country under the National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme.  Under this programme, ambient air quality is being monitored at 424 stations covering 175 cities in respect of Sulphur Dioxide (SO₂), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂), Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) and Particulate Matter of (size less than 10 micro metre (PM₁₀).

The air quality data for the year 2009 indicates that the levels of SO₂ have remained within the National Ambient Air Quality Standards in all the cities.  However, the levels of NO₂ were exceeding the norms in Howrah, Asansol, Kolkata, Delhi, Jamshedpur, Raipur, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Jharia.  During the same period, 91 cities/ towns were found to be exceeding the standards in respect of PM₁₀.  The details may be referred at Annexure-I.

As regards the rank of the list of the polluted cities of the World, there is no standard methodology to rank the most polluted cities of the World. However, various organizations have come out with their ranking of most polluted cities of the World based on different parameters.

The existing levels of pollution in 35 metro cities are provided at Annexure-II.

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Annexure-I

Cities in decreasing order of NO₂ levels in 2009

(Annual average concentrations in micrograms per cubic meter)

Cities in decreasing order of PM₁₀ levels in 2009

(Annual average concentrations in micrograms per cubic meter)

Note: Data of Agra is of sensitive areas. Data as reported in monthly summary sheet\Environmental Data Bank available as on date. National Ambient Air Quality Standard Nov. 2009 for Residential, Industrial & other areas (Annual average) for SO₂ = 50 µg/m³, NO₂ = 40 µg/m³ and RSPM = 60 µg/m³

This information was given by the  Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Environment and Forests, Shri Jairam Ramesh  in Lok  Sabha