In 2023, India stood as the third most polluted nation globally, recording an average population-weighted fine particulate matter (PM) 2.5 concentration of 54.4 micrograms per cubic metre (μg/m3), found a new global report by IQAir — a Swiss air quality technology company.
The publication, 2023: World Air Quality Report, was published on March 19, 2024. The sixth edition of the report analysed PM2.5 air quality data from 7,812 cities spanning 134 countries, regions and territories.
“The findings... are another wake-up call for cities in South Asia. Whether it's the most polluted city Begusarai, a hub of fossil fuel-based industries, or the most polluted country Bangladesh that is heavily dependent on fossil fuel based energy, it shows that burning fossil fuels is one of the biggest causes of air pollution,” noted the report.
By Jayanta Basu
20/03/2024