19.3% drop in particulate pollution in 2022 adds 51 days to life expectancy

The researchers pointed out that the drop in particulate matter levels across India and other South Asian countries was largely due to favourable weather conditions and fewer thermal inversions — events where a warm air layer traps cooler air near the ground, leading to an accumulation of pollutants.

In 2022, India's PM2.5 concentrations were approximately nine micrograms per cubic metre, reflecting a 19.3 per cent reduction from 2021.

Significant declines were particularly evident in the districts of Purulia and Bankura in West Bengal, followed by Dhanbad, Purbi, Paschim Singhbhum, Paschim Medinipur, and Bokaro in Jharkhand. Each of these districts saw PM2.5 levels drop by over 20 micrograms per cubic metre.