CREA declares Delhi as most polluted city in India

New Delhi: As per the latest analysis regarding pollution levels in the country, national capital Delhi was declared the most polluted city in the country, despite several measures being taken by the Delhi government to mitigate pollution. Cases of stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana had decreased in November. The government implemented GRAP 1 to 4, but the monthly average PM2.5 concentration was 249 µg/m³, the highest November pollution level for the city since 2017.

As per the analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), November saw increasing pollution in the country, with 159 cities (out of 268 cities) breaching PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) of 60 µg/m³. Moreover, only one city (Aizawl) complied with the World Health Organization’s standard of 15 µg/m³.

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According to the CREA report, out of the 10 most polluted cities, four come from Haryana, after that three from Uttar Pradesh, and one each from Bihar, Assam, and Delhi. Besides Chennai and Bengaluru, all the megacities of India, like Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata, experienced PM 2.5 NAAQS in the month of November.

“This highlights that the pollution extends beyond Delhi NCR, and it would require a regional airshed-level approach to curb pollution levels in the Indo-Gangetic region,” said Manoj Kumar of CREA.