World Air Quality Report 2024

17.03.2025

World Air Quality Report 2024

Why in the news?                        

            With an average PM 2.5 concentration of 91.8 μg/m3, Delhi continues to be the most polluted Capital city in the world, according to the 2024 World Air Quality Report.

About World Air Quality Report 2024:

• The World Air Quality Report is published by the Swiss organisation IQAir every year. The 2024 World Air Quality Report evaluates the global state of air quality for the year 2024.
• This comprehensive report presents 5 air quality data collected from 8,954 cities across 138 countries, regions, and territories.

India-Specific Findings:

• According to the 2024 World Air Quality Report, with an average PM 2.5 concentration of 91.8 μg/m3, Delhi continues to be the most polluted Capital city in the world.
• According to the report, 13 of the 20 most polluted cities in the world are in India, with Byrnihat on the Assam-Meghalaya border being the most polluted.
• The other cities include Faridabad, Loni (Ghaziabad), Gurgaon, Greater Noida, Bhiwadi, Noida, Muzaffarnagar, New Delhi (Central Delhi) and Delhi (taking the average from the rest of the city).
• India is the fifth most polluted country in the world, with an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 50.6 μg/m3 – 10 times higher than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) annual PM2.5 guideline value of 5 μg/m3. In 2023, it was the third most polluted country.

                                                                Source: Indian Express

Consider the following statements regarding the World Air Quality Report 2024:

1.It is published annually by the United Nations Environment Programme.

2.Delhi has been ranked as the most polluted city in the world.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A.1 only

B.2 only

C.Both 1 and 2

D.Neither 1 nor 2

Answer D