Air pollution threatens the health of 651 thousand people across 4 districts in Sikkim. The average PM2.5 level is 37.2 Āµg/mĀ³ā7.4Ć higher than the WHO guideline.
Brought to you by Amrit Sharma
Sikkim faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 651 thousand across 4 districts at risk.
The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 37.2Āµg/mĀ³. That's 7.4 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5Āµg/mĀ³.
This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 617 cigarettes in a year.
If Sikkim met the WHO guideline of 5 Āµg/mĀ³, the average person would live 3.18 years longer.
That's 2.1M years of life stolen from 651 thousand people. Years of watching children grow up. Years of building a career. Years of quiet mornings and celebrations.
Lives cut short. Breathing kills.
The top 4 most polluted districts in Sikkim. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.
Distribution of population across different PM2.5 pollution levels. The WHO guideline is 5 Āµg/mĀ³āonly populations below this threshold are breathing safe air.
Complete air quality data for every district in Sikkim, sorted by population.
| District | Population | PM2.5 Āµg/mĀ³ | Years Lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Sikkim | 295K | 39.6 | 3.4 years |
| South Sikkim | 164K | 36.3 | 3.1 years |
| West Sikkim | 143K | 34.4 | 2.9 years |
| North Sikkim | 50K | 34.4 | 2.9 years |
Showing 4 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 Āµg/mĀ³.