New Delhi: Fifteen of the top 100 most polluted cities based on PM2.5 levels in the first half of the year are from Haryana, according to the latest data by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). Faridabad and Gurugram, both part of Delhi-NCR, are the most polluted cities of the State.
The campaign for Assembly elections in Haryana is underway, but hardly any party or leader has stressed on this most pressing issue.
India’s National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) set the annual average limits for PM2.5 at 40 µg/m³ and for PM10 at 60 µg/m³. However, these standards are more lenient compared to the 2021 World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines, which recommend annual average limits of 5 µg/m³ for PM2.5 and 15 µg/m³ for PM10.
The air quality data for Haryana from January to June 2024 reveals that Faridabad emerged as the most polluted city in the state with an average PM2.5 concentration of 103 µg/m³.
Gurugram recorded the highest average PM10 concentration at 227 µg/m³, while the lowest was in Ambala at 79 µg/m³.
In Haryana, all cities except Narnaul, Palwal, Ambala, and Mandikhera overshot the WHO’s 2021 PM2.5 standard as early as January 2024. Narnaul and Palwal followed in February 2024, with Ambala overshooting in March and Mandikhera in April 2024.
Air quality data from January to June showed that every city in Haryana exceeded both NAAQS and WHO PM10 standards.
Additionally, cities like Bahadurgarh, Ballabgarh, Charkhi Dadri, Dharuhera, Gurgaon, Faridabad, and Rohtak have already overshot India’s PM2.5 NAAQS for the year.
“All 24 cities in Haryana overshot the WHO standards for particulate matter in the first half of the year. Although some cities have not yet surpassed the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) due to their more lenient thresholds, this disparity highlights that current national standards may be insufficient for protecting public health. A revision is needed to align more closely with international recommendations,” said Manoj Kumar, an analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).
A recent study by the Air Quality Life Index in collaboration with the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago found that Indians are losing around eight years of life expectancy to air pollution with current levels of PM2.5 particulate matter.