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What is the News?
IQ Air, a Swiss air quality technology company released a report titled “World Air Quality Report, 2020”.
About World Air Quality Report:
- World Air Quality is an annual report. The report is based on PM2.5 data from 106 countries based on data from ground-based monitoring stations. The report is handled by government agencies mostly.
Key Findings Related to India
- India is home to 35 of the world’s 50 most polluted cities in World.
- Delhi has been listed as the 10th most polluted city and the top polluted capital city in the world in 2020. However, Delhi’s air quality improved by approximately 15% from 2019 to 2020.
- India ranked as the world’s 3rd most polluted country in 2020 after Bangladesh and Pakistan. However, India has improved its average annual PM2.5 (particulate matter) levels in 2020 than in 2019.
- Further, in spite of the Covid-19 pandemic, 2020 was particularly severe for stubble burning in India. Farm fires in Punjab have increased by 46.5% over 2019.
Other Key Global Findings:
- The topmost polluted city in the world is Xinjiang in China. It is followed by Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh.
- In 2020, 84% of all monitored countries observed air quality improvements. However, of the 106 monitored countries, only 24 met the World Health Organization annual guidelines for PM 2.5.
Source: The Hindu
