India 8th in worst air quality, Lahore most polluted city in subcontinent

A total of 118 (90%) out of 131 countries and regions exceeded the WHO annual PM2.5 guideline value of 5 µg/m3.

India fared badly on air pollution index in 2022 even though it improved three places from the previous year on the list of countries with worst air quality, according to a report. India was ranked eighth on the list, dropping three places from the previous year, with Chad, Iraq, Pakistan, Bahrain, and Bangladesh being the five most polluted countries in 2022. The annual world air quality report was published by Swiss air quality technology company IQAir.

The 5th Annual World Air Quality Report reveals alarming details of the world’s most polluted countries, territories, and regions in 2022. (AP)

The annual average PM2.5 level, as per the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, should be 5 µg/m3 or less but India’s annual average PM2.5 level in 2022 was 53.3 μg/m3, more than 10 times the safe limit and only slightly lower than the 2021 average of 58.1. Rajasthan's Bhiwadi was the most polluted city in India, with annual PM2.5 levels of 92.7 μg/m3, and 60 percent of Indian cities included in the report experienced at least seven times higher annual PM2.5 levels than the WHO guideline.

Just six countries – Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland and New Zealand – met the WHO's safe limit, and 90% of 131 countries and regions included in the study exceeded the annual PM2.5 guideline value.

Pakistan's Lahore was the most polluted metropolitan area of 2022, making a huge forgettable leap from 15th rank in 2021.

The region of Central and South Asia was home to eight of the world’s ten cities with the worst air pollution. According to the report, India and Pakistan generally experience the worst air quality in Central and South Asia region, which includes countries like Bangladesh, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kygyzstan, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Only nine cities in the region achieved annual PM2.5 concentrations in 2022 that met WHO Guidelines.

Here's the list of most polluted cities in Central and South Asia

Rank	City	PM2.5 level
1	Lahore, Pakistan	97.4
2	Bhiwadi, India	92.7
3	Delhi, India	92.6
4	Peshawar, Pakistan	91.8
5	Darbhanga, India	90.3
6	Asopur, India	90.2
7	Patna, India	88.9
8	Ghaziabad, India	88.6
9	Dharuhera, India	87.8
10	Chapra, India	85.9
11	Muzaffarnagar, India	85.5
12	Faisalabad, Pakistan	84.5
13	Greater Noida, India	83.2
14	Bahadurgarh, India	82.2
15	Faridabad, India	79.7

Here's the list of least polluted cities in Central and South Asia

Rank	City	PM2.5 level
1	Tarakeswar, India	0.9
2	Digboi, India	1.4
3	Chu, Kazakhstan	1.5
4	Petropavl, Kazakhstan	2.4
5	Shchuchinsk, Kazakhstan	2.6
6	Aladu, India	2.7
7	Kattupalli, India	2.8
8	Zhezqazghan, Kazakhstan	3.0
9	Aqtobe, Kazakhstan	4.2
10	Beyneu, Kazakhstan	5.7
11	Kyzyl-Orda, Kazakhstan	7.8
12	Polampalle, India	8.3
13	Aktau, Kazakhstan	9.7
14	Kharsawan, India	9.8
15	Muttayyapuram, India	10.6