New Delhi Now World’s Most Polluted City
India’s capital, New Delhi, has overtaken Pakistan’s Lahore to become the world’s most polluted city among major urban centres. The city’s air quality reached hazardous levels on Friday, with thick smog blanketing the entire city and reducing visibility on roads.
The information was reported by Reuters on Friday (November 13). According to Swiss air quality monitoring organisation IQAir, New Delhi recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 334 on the day, ranking first on its list of the world’s major cities.
The rising pollution levels have affected daily life in New Delhi, a city of nearly 20 million people. Thick smog has reduced visibility for road traffic. Videos released by India’s news agency ANI showed cars and motorcycles moving through the haze. Even streetlights along the city’s main roads were barely visible.
However, according to India’s government-run Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), New Delhi’s AQI stood at 403 on Friday. The agency classified the air quality as ‘severe’. The difference between IQAir’s and CPCB’s readings is due to the two organisations using different methods and indices to measure air pollution.
According to IQAir’s index, an AQI of 50 or below indicates good air quality. At this level, the health risks from air pollution are very low or negligible.
Air pollution becomes a major problem during winter in northern India and neighbouring Pakistan. During this period, cold and dense air traps vehicle emissions, construction dust and smoke from the burning of crop residue in agricultural fields. As a result, pollution levels rise rapidly.
