Why is it in the news?
- Byrnihat, an industrial town in Meghalaya, emerged as the most polluted city in India in February 2024, with a monthly average 5 concentration of 183 µg/m3, according to data released by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).
- Byrnihat’s PM2.5 levels were nearly 1.8 times higher than Delhi’s PM2.5 concentration for the same period, despite Delhi being known for high pollution levels.
More about the news
- Bihar’s Araria followed as the second most polluted city, with PM2.5 levels around 60 µg/m3 lower than Byrnihat.
- Hapur in Uttar Pradesh and Hanumangarh in Rajasthan ranked as the third and fourth most polluted cities, respectively.
- Other northeastern cities like Nalbari, Agartala, Guwahati, and Nagaon also featured among the 30 most polluted cities in India, indicating worsening pollution levels in the region.
- Among northeastern cities with continuous air quality monitoring stations, six recorded PM2.5 levels surpassing the prescribed daily National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) by the Central Pollution Control Board.
- Sivasagar, Silchar, Aizawl, and Imphal were the cleanest cities in the region, recording monthly average PM2.5 concentrations below the NAAQS.
- Despite being relatively clean compared to other cities, none of the northeastern cities complied with the WHO-safe guideline concentrations for PM2.5.
