India's "Hindustan Times" front page report: A study shows that 60% of India's regions are plagued by toxic air throughout the year, not just in winter.

A study released on Tuesday showed that none of the 40 states and union territories in India met the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline of 5 micrograms per cubic meter for annual PM2.5 concentration.

The study data came from 444 regions, with an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 40 micrograms per cubic meter, which is at the level of India's standard (40 micrograms per cubic meter), and far higher than the WHO standard.

The study also emphasized that exposure to toxic air is a year-round issue, not just a problem that occurs in winter as people generally believe.

Almost half of the 50 most polluted areas were concentrated in New Delhi (1 area), Uttar Pradesh (19 areas), and Assam (11 areas).

Other heavily polluted states include Uttar Pradesh (19 areas), Bihar (6 areas), Telangana (4 areas), Rajasthan (3 areas), and Karnataka (3 areas).

In the "cleaner states," pollution levels were relatively low in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Lakshadweep, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu.

In the 50 most polluted areas, the number of areas in Uttar Pradesh accounted for nearly half, followed by Bihar (5 areas) and Haryana (7 areas).

Data from the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) show that PM2.5 concentrations in northern and eastern states of India dominate.

Other figures differ significantly from official records because official data come from scattered monitoring stations, while this study used satellite inversion data, which can cover more areas.

Additionally, PM2.5 concentrations vary greatly by month, for example, values in December are usually about five times higher than those in June.

The study also pointed out that the peak national PM2.5 concentration recorded by official records occurred in February 2024, when the recorded value reached 161 micrograms per cubic meter.

Original article: www.toutiao.com/article/1849868254758921/

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