According to a recent air pollution tracking report, Delhi is now the world’s most polluted city. Mumbai and Kolkata are also among the top ten most polluting cities in the world. These findings were revealed by IQAir, a Swiss climate firm and technology partner of the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP).
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Three of the World’s Most Polluted Cities are in India
Three of the world’s top ten cities with the poorest air quality are in India: Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai. The IQAir air quality and pollution city tracking service, a Swiss climate organization revealed this recently.
While Delhi leads the list with an AQI of 460, Kolkata is in sixth place, and Mumbai is in fourth place. Lahore in Pakistan and China’s Chengdu are also among the cities with the poorest AQI indexes.
Top 10 Cities with Poorest AQI
According to IQAir, following are the ten cities with the poorest air quality indices and pollutant rankings:
1. Delhi, India with AQI 460
2. Lahore, Pakistan with AQI 328
3. Chengdu, China with AQI 176
4. Mumbai, India with AQI 169
5. Karachi, Pakistan with AQI 165
6. Kolkata, India with AQI 165
7. Sofia, Bulgaria with AQI 164
8. Dhaka, Bangladesh with AQI 160
9. Belgrade, Serbia with AQI 159
10. Jakarta, Indonesia with AQI 158
The Ministry of Earth Science’s System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) has also indicated deteriorating air quality in the national capital. According to SAFAR, air quality in Delhi is further in the ‘very poor’ category, with an air quality index (AQI) of 390.
Diwali Time Notorious for Bad Air
People in Delhi breathe the worst air between November 1 and November 15 every year, according to a study by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee. Six of the city’s eight days post-Diwali had seen terrible air quality.
Furthermore, according to data from SAFAR, Delhi’s overall air quality was 499 last Saturday morning. PM 10 and PM 2.5 pollution levels were at 134 and 72 respectively.
At 9 A.M., the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) also measured an AQI of 468 in Anand Vihar, 484 in RK Putnam, and 452 at Sri Aurobindo’s Ashram.
An AQI of zero to fifty is deemed “excellent, and” 51 to one hundred is “acceptable”. 101 to 200 is taken as “moderate,” while 201 to 300 is “poor”. At the end of the scale, 301 to 400 is “extremely poor,” and 401 to 500 stands for “severe” air quality.
The Supreme Court also took a serious look at the high air pollution levels in Delhi-NCR on Saturday. India’s apex court suggested that the government proclaim a two-day lockdown if necessary to reduce pollution levels. A number of factors are responsible for Delhi’s bad air, including stubble burning, automobiles and firecrackers, factories, and dust. The Chief Justice pointed out that stubble burning by farmers accounts for only 25% of pollution, with the remaining 75% coming from firecrackers, traffic pollution, dust, and other sources.
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