International ReportsImportant2025-03-12

IQAir Releases 2024 World Air Quality Report

In News

What Happened

On March 12, 2025, Swiss technology company IQAir published its 7th annual World Air Quality Report tracking global PM2.5 levels for the year 2024. India was ranked as the fifth most polluted country in the world, recording an average PM2.5 concentration of 50.6 micrograms per cubic meter. The report specifically identified Byrnihat in Meghalaya and New Delhi as being among the most severely polluted cities globally.

Why It Matters

The findings highlight a continuing public health crisis in India, where millions are exposed to hazardous levels of particulate matter. It emphasizes the critical need to accelerate domestic policies like the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) and enforce stricter regional guidelines to protect vulnerable populations.

Background

History & Context

To combat rising particulate pollution, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in January 2019 to reduce PM concentrations in non-attainment cities. In 2021, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) was established via legislation to tackle pollution in the National Capital Region and adjoining areas. The System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) was introduced earlier to monitor localized air quality, yet structural and geographic challenges have kept Indian cities at the top of global pollution indices.

What Changed

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BEFORE: In the previous 2023 IQAir report, India ranked as the third most polluted country globally. NOW: In the 2024 report released in 2025, India's rank marginally improved to the fifth most polluted country.
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BEFORE: India's average PM2.5 concentration was recorded at 54.4 micrograms per cubic meter in the preceding year. NOW: The recorded national average PM2.5 concentration has decreased slightly to 50.6 micrograms per cubic meter.
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BEFORE: Begusarai in Bihar was previously highlighted as the most polluted metropolitan area in the world. NOW: Byrnihat in Meghalaya and New Delhi have emerged as the most severely polluted cities in the latest tracking.

Prelims Angle

NCERT Connection

This report directly connects to Class 11 Chemistry Chapter 14 - Environmental Chemistry, which outlines the sources and harmful effects of particulate pollutants. The IQAir tracking of PM2.5 provides a real-world application of how fine particulates (less than 2.5 micrometers) are measured, illustrating the textbook concepts of smog formation and respiratory hazards.

Practice Questions

Q1

Correct Statement(s)

Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding air quality initiatives in India? 1. The System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) was indigenously developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune. 2. The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) was launched as a statutory body under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.

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