New Delhi, March 14 : India was the world’s eighth most polluted country in 2022, dropping from fifth place the previous year. While the PM 2.5 level has dipped to 53.3 micrograms/cubic metre, that is still over 10 times the World Health Organisation’s safe limit. The ranking was decided by Swiss firm IQAir in its ‘World Air Quality Report’ released on Tuesday (March 14). It is based on the level of PM 2.5, a pollutant closely tracked by scientists and health experts.

The data from 131 countries is taken from over 30,000 ground-based monitors, either government or non-government operated.

Indian cities dominate the top of the list which includes over 7,300 cities, the most the rankings have ever covered since 2017 when it covered less than 2,200.

The report puts the economic cost of air pollution in India at $150 billion, with the transportation sector causing 20-35 per cent of the PM 2.5 pollution. Other sources of pollution are industrial units, coal-fired power plants and biomass burning.

Lahore in Pakistan and Hotan in China are the top two most-polluted cities after which ranks Rajasthan’s Bhiwadi and Delhi in fourth place. At 92.6 micrograms, Delhi’s PM 2.5 level is almost 20 times the safe limit.

Consider the dubious domination: There are six Indian cities in the top 10, 14 in the top 20, 39 in the top 50, and a staggering 65 in the top 100 up from 61 in the previous year. Delhi and New Delhi are both in the top 10, based on a new classification.