CAMPAIGN UPDATE

22 OUT OF THE WORLD’S 30 MOST POLLUTED CITIES ARE IN INDIA

India’s done it again and bagged the top spots... 22 out of the world’s 30 most polluted cities are in India. Despite recording a decline in air pollution of approximately 15%, Delhi ranked as the top polluted capital city globally. While numbers may look better for South Indian cities like Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, their citizens are still breathing air with PM2.5 pollution above the WHO's safe limit of 10μg/m3.

This and several other startling findings were revealed in the ‘World Air Quality Report 2020’ compiled by IQAir, which studied PM2.5 levels of 106 countries in 2020. The report only considers PM2.5 levels and does not measure pollutants like NOx, SO2 or Ozone, which several Indian cities report high levels. While there are improvements, clearly, we cannot take solace from this report.

One of the biggest contributors to PM2.5 pollution is our unsustainable transportation. The DetoxCity campaign by Greenpeace India is reimagining our country’s mobility. We’re urging citizens to avoid using their car for at least one day every week. Instead, they can try switching to public transport for the day or better yet, choose to walk or cycle wherever possible.

As part of the campaign, Greenpeace India, together with our supporters and volunteers, conducted a cleanup and plantation drive at the Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna Railway Station in Bengaluru on March 7, 2021. The drive aimed to improve the sorely lacking tree cover around the railway station which is a major transport hub. This will not only provide commuters with a better, cleaner and more accessible experience but also revive the biodiversity by bringing back birds and insects.