World's Most Polluted City Designation Held by Indian Metropolis in 2024, Despite Common Belief Delhui Conditions Were Not Topped
Hear it in a snap! Byrnihat, Meghalaya, tops the world's polluted cities list for 2024, surprising many, while India's capital, Delhi, trails second.
Delhi, known for its notorious air quality, surprisingly slips to second place in a global pollution ranking by the Swiss Group IQAir for 2024. Byrnihat, a city nestled in Meghalaya, takes the number one spot, leaving Delhi in awe.
The Central Pollution Control Board, acknowledging Byrnihat's poor air quality, has declared it India's most polluted urban area for two years straight. With an Air Quality Index of 302, the city falls under the "very poor" category.
Rules are afoot in Meghalaya to combat this pollution crisis. The state's Cabinet, headed by chief minister Conrad Sangma, has approved a vehicle scrappage policy. This policy aims to phase out old and polluting vehicles, starting from May 2025, to reduce emissions and tackle the increasing air pollution. Government sources estimate around 13,000 vehicles, both public and private, will be removed from the roads, making way for cleaner ones.
Sources maintain the policy will lower pollution levels, decrease fuel imports, and cut the need for raw material extraction and recycling.
Delhi, despite slipping one spot, still appears on the list, followed by Karaganda in Kazakhstan, Mullanpur in Punjab, and Lahore in Pakistan. Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan, takes the sixth spot, while N'Djamena, Chad, makes an appearance in seventh place, followed by Loni in Uttar Pradesh, India.
Other mental contenders around the globe
The 2024 list continues with Multan in Pakistan in the 11th position, followed by Peshawar at 12th and Faisalabad at 13th. Sialkot, also in Pakistan, clinches the 14th spot. Gurugram in Haryana and Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan slide in at 15th and 16th, respectively. China's Hotan takes the 17th position, while Greater Noida (Uttar Pradesh) and Bhiwadi (Rajasthan) claim the 18th and 19th spots. Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, secures the 20th rank.
Further down the list, Hanumangarh in Rajasthan lands at 21st, followed by Noida in Uttar Pradesh at 22nd. Pindi Bhattian in Pakistan claims the 23rd spot, with Ballabgarh (Haryana) and Mandi Gobindgarh (Punjab) at 24th and 25th positions, respectively.
Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital, comes in at 26th, while Bahadurgarh in Haryana makes an appearance at 27th place. Sreepur, Bangladesh, and Charsadda, Pakistan, round off the top 30, with Faridabad in Haryana claiming the 30th position.
- Byrnihat's Pollution Crisis
- Meghalaya Vehicle Scrappage Policy, 2025
- Air Pollution in India
- Conrad Sangma
- Environmental Pollution and Vehicle Scrappage
- Air Quality Index
- The government of Meghalaya, led by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, is addressing Byrnihat's pollution crisis with a newly approved vehicle scrappage policy, scheduled to be implemented from May 2025.
- Byrnihat, India's most polluted urban area, according to the Central Pollution Control Board, tops the world's polluted cities list for 2024, surprising many, while India's capital, Delhi, trails second.
- In an attempt to combat the rising air pollution and lower pollution levels, the Meghalaya vehicle scrappage policy aims to phase out old and polluting vehicles, which are estimated to number around 13,000.
- Byrnihat's Air Quality Index of 302 places it in the "very poor" category, indicating a pressing need for such environmental science-based policies focusing on climate change and health-and-wellness to address air pollution concerns in India and beyond.
