In alarming news, the WHO global air pollution database has revealed that India has 14 out of the 15 most polluted cities in the world in terms of PM 2.5 concentrations.

As an indicator of why this constitutes a major public health emergency, consider that WHO has further pointed to air pollution being a main cause of non-communicable diseases, causing around 24% of all adult deaths from heart disease, 25% from stroke, 43% from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 25% from lung cancer.

Read: 14 of world’s 15 most polluted cities in India

Damage to quality of life, ranging from school and work days lost to tourism and other businesses hurt, is incalculable.

Centre and state governments must respond to this data in meaningful ways, ensuring stringent action to comply with clean air standards – in all cities, particularly the ones on this dismaying list, topped by Kanpur followed by Faridabad, Varanasi, Gaya, Patna, Delhi, Lucknow, Agra, Muzaffarpur, Srinagar, Gurgaon, Jaipur, Patiala and Jodhpur.

The data also reflects that monitoring in Indian cities has improved. Similar improvement in the villages may reveal a similarly alarming trend there as well.

China is a study in contrast. It is reporting improvements in air quality thanks to focused policies combined with strict nationwide enforcement, including source-wise action to reduce emissions.

In India too there are positive signs like the ongoing shift to BS-VI fuel, the narrowing gap between petrol and diesel prices, and the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana Scheme for expanding LPG connections. But what the WHO has highlighted is the enormity of the problem, and how it’s growing faster than the patchy fixes.

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