World Environment Day is celebrated every year on 5 June.
Air pollution is one of the biggest problems in the world today. This is not just an environmental issue. It is directly related to human health. Bad air has a negative impact on the lungs, heart, brain and development of children. For this reason, every year a report is released on the air quality of the countries of the world, so that we can understand where the problem lies and the time has come to deal with it. According to the report of the year 2025, the most polluted country in the world is Pakistan.
On the occasion of World Environment Day, let us understand what is the position of neighboring Bangladesh and Tajikistan in the world in terms of pollution? What is the situation of India and who are the top 10 countries?
Which is the most polluted country?
The report of the year 2025 says that the most polluted country in the world is Pakistan. Pakistan’s average PM2.5 level is the highest recorded. Bangladesh stood second and Tajikistan stood third. That is, if only the names of the top three countries have to be taken, then they will be Pakistan, Bangladesh and Tajikistan in that order. India comes not after these three but at sixth place in the global list.
The figures are for 2025.
What is PM2.5?
To understand pollution, it is important to understand PM2.5. These are very small particles present in the air. Their size is 2.5 microns or less. These are so small that they reach the lungs directly with our breath. Some particles may even be found in blood. For this reason PM2.5 is considered very dangerous. When a country’s annual PM2.5 level is high, that country is considered more polluted.
Why is Pakistan at number one?
There are many reasons behind Pakistan becoming the most polluted country. The first reason is rapidly increasing urbanization.Cities are growing, but the infrastructure needed for clean air is not growing that fast. The second reason is vehicle smoke. Old vehicles, diesel engines and traffic jams spoil the air. The third reason is industry and fuel. Smoke coming out of factories is a big problem. In many areas the use of coal and other dirty fuels is still high. Dust from roads, construction sites and debris lying in the open also increase fine particles in the air. Many times cold air, fog and stable weather trap the pollutant particles. Due to this the air remains bad for a long time.
There are many reasons behind Pakistan being the most polluted country. photo: pexels
Why is Bangladesh at second place?
Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Pollution increases rapidly in densely populated areas. There are several main reasons here. Smoke from brick kilns, old vehicles, industrial emissions, dense population, poor urban planning, construction and road dust are major factors. It has also been said that the air quality in the capital and industrial areas of Bangladesh remains poor for a long time. This is why Bangladesh continues to remain among the most polluted countries in the world.
Why is Tajikistan in third place?
The name of Tajikistan may surprise many people. Because this country is not often in the news as much as India, Pakistan or Bangladesh. But air pollution is not determined by population alone. Local fuels, industry, dust, weather and monitoring data also play a big role. Some of the main reasons for increasing pollution in Tajikistan are considered. High fuel use in cold climates, dusty and dry climate, industrial emissions in some areas, limited sources of clean energy, geographical conditions. All these together are polluting the country.
At what number is India?
According to the 2025 report, India is in sixth place compared to countries around the world. It provides some relief that India came out of the top five. But this does not mean that the situation has become better. Many cities in India are still struggling with severe pollution. Delhi, NCR, industrial areas and some small cities are also facing bad air.
The figures are for 2025.
Main causes of pollution in India
There are many major causes of pollution in India. The increasing number of vehicles spoils the air rapidly. Diesel vehicles and traffic jams are big problems. Smoke comes out from factories, power plants and small industrial units. This directly affects the air quality. Road construction, building construction and open dust increase PM2.5. Burning of crop residues in North India makes the air worse in winter. Burning garbage in the open produces poisonous smoke. In winter the air stagnates. Due to this, pollution accumulates instead of spreading.
What effect does pollution have on people?
Pollution does not just change the color of the air. It also weakens the quality of life. This causes many health related problems. Difficulty in breathing, asthma, lung disease, heart disease, eye irritation etc. are the main ones. Children, pregnant women and the elderly are adversely affected by poor air quality. There is a risk of premature death.
What is the solution to this problem?
Reducing pollution is certainly difficult, but not impossible. For this, government, industry and public will have to work together. Use of clean energy will have to be increased instead of coal and dirty fuel. Bus, metro and shared travel will have to be promoted. Old and emitting vehicles will have to be removed. Covering, water sprinkling and proper management of debris is necessary at construction sites. The habit of burning stubble or similar things in the open has to be stopped. For this, both strict rules and better options are needed. Better air quality monitoring is necessary in every city. It is difficult to make the right policy without the right data.
Ranking is not just a statistic. This is a question of health of crores of people. The air condition in many countries of South Asia is worrying. Therefore merely reading the report is not enough. We will have to work on all three: policy, technology and public awareness. Clean air is not a luxury. This is the basic right of every human being.
Very fine particles of dust and smoke are floating in the air, these are the cause of pollution.
Understand microgram per cubic meter like this
- Amount of dirt floating in the air: Imagine that very fine particles of dust and smoke are floating in the air. 67.3 This tells us what is the weight of these fine toxic particles in one cubic meter of Pakistan’s air. The greater this weight, the more poisonous the air will be.
- Poison 13 times more than the safe limit: According to the World Health Organization, to remain healthy the average amount of these particles in the air should not be more than 5. Pakistan’s figure is 67.3, which means that people there are breathing polluted air almost 13 times more than the safe limit.
- Density of Invisible Enemy: This number shows the concentration of particles called PM2.5. These particles are 30 times smaller than our hair and reach the lungs and blood directly through breath. The number 67.3 shows that the concentration of these invisible enemies in the air there is very dense.
Also read: How does the country which caused the most damage to the earth remain green?
