NEWS – A recent report on global air quality rankings has singled out Begusarai in Bihar as the world’s most polluted city, drawing attention to broader concerns about air pollution in India. However, the methodology behind these rankings, conducted by the Swiss company IQAir, raises questions about data accuracy and coverage.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Rankings and Data Source: IQAir’s rankings, based on PM2.5 concentrations, highlight Begusarai along with several other Bihar cities among the most polluted in Central and South Asia. The data used is sourced from ground-level monitoring stations operated by various entities, including government agencies and non-profits.
• Challenges in Data Interpretation: Despite Begusarai’s ranking, experts like Dr. Sachchida Nand Tripathi from IIT Kanpur caution against simplistic conclusions. The lack of specific data on pollution sources in these areas hinders accurate assessments, with solid fuel burning and solid waste burning identified as potential contributors.
• Factors Contributing to Pollution: While Begusarai isn’t heavily industrialized, factors like rural solid fuel usage for cooking and atmospheric transport of pollutants from neighboring regions could significantly impact air quality.
• Data Insufficiency and Monitoring Networks: The limited public availability of air quality data, especially from Bihar, underscores the challenges in pinpointing the most polluted areas accurately. Initiatives like the AMRIT network by IIT Kanpur aim to improve monitoring but are still in early stages of data collection and analysis.
• Conclusion: The case of Begusarai’s ‘most polluted’ status serves as a reminder of the complexities in assessing air quality, especially in regions with inadequate data coverage. Efforts to enhance monitoring and data transparency are crucial for developing targeted interventions to combat air pollution effectively.