Odisha Tops National Air Pollution Charts, Surpasses Delhi
Three towns—Balasore, Talcher, and Baripada—rank among India’s five most polluted cities. Persistent PM2.5 pollution raises serious health concerns, highlighting the state’s worsening air quality crisis
Bhubaneswar: Odisha has emerged as one of India’s most polluted states, recording air quality levels worse than the national capital. On Thursday morning, three towns from the state ranked among the country’s five most polluted urban centres.
Balasore led the list with an alarming AQI of 336, followed by Talcher (324) and Baripada (304)—all in the “Very Poor” category. The other two cities in the top five were Haldia in West Bengal (319) and Rupnagar in Punjab (311). In comparison, New Delhi’s AQI stood at 218, significantly lower than Odisha’s worst-affected towns.
Odisha’s twin cities – Bhubaneswar and Cutack - fared slightly better but still fell into the “Poor” category. Bhubaneswar recorded an AQI of 239, while Cuttack registered 262, with PM2.5 identified as the dominant pollutant in both.
The situation reflects a continuing trend. Just a day earlier, Angul (303) and Talcher (336) had also featured among India’s five most polluted towns. Experts warn that such sustained high levels of pollution pose grave risks to public health, including increased chances of stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and respiratory ailments such as asthma.
Medical experts emphasise that cleaner air significantly reduces the risk of both chronic and acute conditions, underscoring the urgent need for stronger environmental management and pollution control measures in the state.
