63 out of the top 100 most polluted cities on earth are in India

According to the World Air Quality Report provided by IQAir, India's air pollution worsened in 2021. This brings a stop to a three-year bettering trend in air quality. The average level of air pollution, as measured by the fatal and minuscule PM2.5 particle, is 58.1 micrograms per cubic metre, which is more than ten times the WHO's air quality limits. In India, no city reached the WHO criterion.

The situation in North India is even worse. For the fourth year in a row, Delhi is the world's most polluted capital, with pollution up over 15% from the previous year. PM2.5 levels were nearly 20 times higher than WHO safety guidelines, with an annual average of 96.4 micrograms per cubic metre.

With 63 cities from India listed under the top 100 polluted places in the world, it is a horrifying index to consider. But if maintained, it could add about a decade to the life expectancy of the people in those regions.

Vehicle emissions, coal-fired power plants, industrial waste, biomass combustion for cooking, and the building industry are all major causes of air pollution. The health consequences are significantly worse, with three deaths per minute believed to be connected to air pollution, in addition to heart and lung ailments and a slew of other serious health issues.

The cleanest air in India has been measured in Ariyalur, Tamil Nadu. Even so, it is three times the WHO's recommended safe levels.