The World Air Quality Report 2024 by Swiss air quality technology company IQAir said Delhi remains the most polluted capital city globally. India ranked as the world’s fifth most polluted country in 2024, down from third in 2023. 35 per cent of the Indian cities reported annual PM2.5 levels exceeding 10 times the WHO limit of 5 micrograms per cubic metre. Air pollution remains a serious health risk in India, reducing life expectancy by an estimated 5.2 years, according to a Lancet Planetary Health study published last year. About 1.5 million deaths in India every year from 2009 to 2019 were potentially linked to long-term exposure to PM1.5 pollution, the study said. In cities, expanding public transport and imposing fines on certain cars could help, a former WHO chief scientist and health ministry advisor said. \”We have the data; now we need action. Some solutions are easy like replacing biomass with LPG. India already has a scheme for this, but we must further subsidize additional cylinders,\” Soumya Swaminathan said.