POLLUTION

Delhi Tops the List of World's Most Polluted Cities; Kolkata, Mumbai Ranked Fourth and Sixth Respectively

Of the world's top 10 cities with the worst air quality, three—Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai—hail from India, as per the data from air quality and pollution city tracking service from IQAir, a Switzerland-based climate group.

While Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) at 556 made it to the top of the list, Kolkata and Mumbai recorded an AQI of 177 and 169, respectively, featuring at fourth and sixth position on the list.

The cities with the worst AQI indices also include Lahore in Pakistan and Chengdu in China.

A real-time air quality information platform, IQAir is also a technology partner of the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP).

Even as this news breaks out, Delhi continues to reel under 'severe'-level pollution, having recorded an overall air quality index (AQI) of 499 on Saturday morning. The level of PM 10 and PM 2.5 pollutants in the air was recorded at 134 and 72, respectively.

This led Supreme Court to take a serious view of the severe air pollution in Delhi-NCR on Saturday, with the apex body suggesting that if needed, the government can declare a two-day lockdown to bring down the pollution levels, which have been caused by stubble burning, vehicles, firecrackers, industries, dust, etc.

The Chief Justice noted that stubble burning by farmers is only responsible for 25 per cent of the pollution, and the remaining 75 per cent pollution was from firecracker burning, vehicular pollution, dust etc.

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The above article has been published from a wire agency with minimal modifications to the headline and text.

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