Guwahati has secured the unenviable position of being the second most polluted city globally, according to the 2023 World Air Quality Report by IQAir.
The city’s rise in pollution levels can be attributed to various factors including escalating construction activities leading to increased dust pollution and a surge in vehicular traffic.
Guwahati recorded an average annual PM2.5 concentration of 105.4, more than ten times higher than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended levels.
Bihar’s Begusarai claimed the top spot as the world’s most polluted city with Delhi, Mullanpur and Lahore rounding out the top five.
When inhaled, PM2.5 travels deep into lung tissue where it can enter the bloodstream. It comes from sources like the combustion of fossil fuels, dust storms and wildfires, and has been linked to asthma, heart and lung disease, cancer, and other respiratory illnesses, as well as cognitive impairment in children.
Other Indian cities featuring in the top 50 most polluted cities of the world list included Greater Noida (11), Muzzafarnagar (16), Gurgaon (17), Arrah (18), Dadri (19), Patna (20), Faridabad (25), Noida (26), Meerut (28), Ghaziabad (35) and Rohtak (47).
According to IQAir, the data in its report was gathered from more than 30,000 air quality monitoring stations across 7,812 locations in 134 countries, territories, and regions.
