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In pollution levels, Gurugram led all cities in 2018, even as its score improved from the previous year, according to data released by IQAir AirVisual and Greenpeace. Three other Indian cities along with Gurugram joined Faisalabad, Pakistan, in the top five.
Seven of the top 10 most polluted cities in the world are in India, according to a new study showing South Asia's battle with deteriorating air quality and the economic toll it's expected to take worldwide.
Gurugram is located in southwest of India's capital New Delhi.
In Gurugram, the air quality index measures the presence of fine particulate matter known as PM2.5. It is a pollutant that can fester deep in the lungs and bloodstream of human beings.
India, the world's fastest-growing major economy, makes up 22 of the top 30 most polluted cities, with five in China, two in Pakistan and one in Bangladesh. India racks up health-care costs and productivity losses from pollution of as much as 8.5 percent of gross domestic product, according to the World Bank.
According to the data, in 2018, with average concentrations falling by 12 percent from the previous year, China made marked progress in its usually dismal pollution levels.
