India revealed to have 'worst air pollution in the world'

The annual Environmental Performance Index has been revealed at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, finding that India has overtaken China as having the worst air pollution in the world.

China dropped to 125th place out of the 132 countries surveyed, leaving India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh at the back as having the worse air effects on human health.

The data is compiled using satellite data from environmental research centres at Yale and Columbia Universities. A New York Times blog revealed that the increasing number of vehicles being used in both small cities and major urban centres was responsible for the significantly lower ranking.

Despite the alarming nature of the results, D Saha, a scientist in the Air Lab at India’s Central Pollution Control Board said the study’s findings were not a matter of huge concern.

"We should not compare our country with others…. India has a different terrain," he added.

Countries that fared the best in the report were Slovakia, Argentina, Belarus, Ecuador and Tunisia, making up one to five respectively.

Posted by Joseph Hutton