Gurugram world’s most polluted city, Delhi has worst air quality among capital cities: Report

Haryana's Gurugram topped the list for the most polluted cities in the world followed by Faridabad, Bhiwadi and Noida being in top six with Delhi on the 11th spot.

Delhi Air Quality Index

New Delhi: In a record which India's national capital would not be proud to boast of, Delhi remains the most polluted capital across the world in 2018, as per a study conducted by the environment NGO Greenpeace. With the air quality in the national capital region deteriorating with every passing year, it comes as no surprise that 15 of the 20 most polluted cities in the world are based out of India. Haryana's Gurugram topped the list for the most polluted cities in the world followed by Faridabad, Bhiwadi and Noida being in top six with Delhi on the 11th spot. Air pollution will take an estimated seven million lives globally in the next year, while costing the world’s economy nearly 225 billion USD, the Greenpeace said. The IQAir AirVisual 2018 World Air Quality Report reveals that in South Asia, out of 20 most polluted cities in the world, 18 are in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The data also highlights that Beijing, once among the most polluted cities in the world, is still at least five times more polluted than the WHO annual safety limits of 10 µg/m3. “China’s skies remain gray but progress is impressive,” the report said. “Average concentrations in the cities in China fell by 12% from 2017 to 2018. Beijing ranks now as the 122nd most polluted city in the world, according to the AirVisual dataset, with PM2.5 levels falling more than 40% since 2013. If Beijing’s PM2.5 concentration had stayed at 2013 level, the city would rank as the 21st on the list in 2018,” it added. “The new data reveals the true scale of South Asian air pollution crisis: out of 20 most polluted cities in the world, 18 are in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The data also exposes nine South Asian cities that are even worse than Delhi,” the report said.