Global air pollution rankings not official, India follows its own standards: Centre
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The Centre told the Rajya Sabha on Thursday that no official global ranking exists for comparing air pollution levels between countries.
It said that the international indices often cited in media reports, including the IQAir World Air Quality Report, the WHO Global Air Quality Database, the Environmental Performance Index, and Global Burden of Disease metrics, are not conducted by any official authority.
Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh said in a written reply that WHO air quality guidelines are advisory and that each country sets its own standards based on geography, environmental factors, background pollution, socioeconomic conditions, and national needs.
He said India notified its National Ambient Air Quality Standards in 2009 for 12 pollutants, and these remain tailored to local realities.
The minister was responding to questions raised by CPI(M) MP V Sivadasan about India’s position in global air quality rankings since 2020 and the parameters used in these assessments.
In a separate reply on Delhi’s air quality, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said the national capital has seen clear improvements. He said Delhi recorded 200 good to moderate air quality days in 2025 so far, compared to 110 in 2016. The average AQI from January to November has fallen from 213 in 2018 to 187 in 2025. No day in 2025 has entered the severe plus category. He also said farm fires in Punjab and Haryana have dropped by about 90 percent during the 2025 paddy harvest compared to 2022.
The government conducts its own annual Swachh Vayu Survekshan under the National Clean Air Programme. It ranks 130 cities based on the implementation of air quality measures and awards top performers on National Swachh Vayu Diwas on September 7.
The WHO tightened its air quality guidelines in 2021, but India continues to follow its 2009 limits. The Centre says these limits are appropriate for India’s current conditions.