Congress Slams Government Over Report Ranking India as 5th Most Polluted Country

The Congress party has criticized the government following the release of the 2024 World Air Quality Report by Swiss air quality technology company IQAir. The report ranks India as the fifth most polluted country globally, with a population-weighted average concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) at 50.6 µg/m³—ten times the World Health Organization’s annual guideline level of 5 µg/m³

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh highlighted that 74 of the world’s 100 most polluted cities are in India, with New Delhi being the second-most polluted city globally, after Byrnihat in Meghalaya. He criticized the government’s environmental policies, calling them “anti-people” and demanding the rollback of amendments made over the past decade.

Ramesh also cited studies linking air pollution to fatalities, including a Lancet study showing that 7.2% of all deaths in India are associated with air pollution. He pointed out that government interventions, such as the National Clean Air Program (NCAP), are poorly designed and fail to address major pollution sources like industrial and vehicular emissions.