Global Air Quality Rankings Not Official, India Sets Its Own Standards: Government Tells Parliament

By A Staff Reporter

New Delhi: The government on Thursday clarified in the Rajya Sabha that global air quality rankings widely circulated by international organisations are not conducted or certified by any official authority. It stressed that India relies on its own scientific standards for assessing and managing air pollution, and that the World Health Organisation’s air quality guidelines are advisory rather than mandatory.

Responding to a question on India’s placement in indices such as IQAir’s World Air Quality Ranking, the WHO Global Air Quality Database, the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) and the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) metrics, the Environment Ministry said that no globally recognised or officially approved country-wise pollution ranking exists.

Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh told the Upper House that WHO’s guidelines are meant to assist countries in formulating their own standards by taking into account unique geographical, environmental and meteorological factors. “WHO guidelines serve as advisory values and are not legally binding,” he said.