India has once again topped the annual list of cities with the worst air quality in the world. According to a new report by AirVisual, which monitors international air pollution, 21 of the world's 30 cities with the worst air pollution are in India.
While Ghaziabad topped the list of most polluted regional cities (110 PM2.5), India ranked sixth on the list of 98 countries in PM2.5 concentration behind Pakistan and Bangladesh. With an average of 98.6 Particulate Matter (PM 2.5) concentration, Delhi topped the list of most polluted capital cities in the world.
Despite the government's new policies to tackle the issue, New Delhi’s air quality has fallen from where it was five years ago, rising to the fifth-worst spot globally, the report said. The national capital experienced its longest period of hazardous air pollution during late October and early November 2019. The grim situation had forced the government to declare a public health emergency, temporarily ordering schools to close and construction activities to be stopped during the night.
World most polluted capitals
1: Delhi, India
2. Dhaka, Bangladesh
3. Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
4. Kabul, Afghanistan
5. Jakarta, Indonesia
6. Kathmandu, Nepal
7. Hanoi, Vietnam
8. Manama, Bahrain
9. Beijing, China
10. Tashkent, Uzbekistan
However, Beijing, once infamous for its toxic haze, has reduced smog levels and dropped down from the list of the world’s most polluted cities.
Indonesia's Jakarta and Vietnam's Hanoi overtook Beijing for the first time among the world's most polluted capital cities, "in a historic shift reflecting the region's rapid industrialization," the report said. The two capitals have annual PM 2.5 levels which are about 20% higher than those of Beijing, according to the report.
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