Top 10 Most Polluted Cities in India: Delhi Tops the List with a Grim 388 AQI
Written by Sanjay Kumar
Major Northern Indian cities grapple with hazardous air pollution as a thick toxic haze engulfs urban landscapes. The latest data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) unveils the top 10 most polluted cities in India, highlighting the severity of the air quality crisis.
As of December 1, Delhi has secured the unenviable position of being the most polluted city in the country, recording an alarming Air Quality Index (AQI) of 388. Following closely are cities from Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, all struggling to combat the rising levels of air pollution.
CPCB data reveals that out of 244 cities surveyed, 22 cities reported ‘very poor’ air quality, surpassing 300 on the AQI scale. Additionally, 34 Indian cities recorded ‘poor’ air quality, surpassing 200 on the index.
Delhi, the national capital, stands out with an overall AQI of 388, signaling a critical air quality situation. In Rajasthan, Bikaner, Bhiwadi, and Hanumangarh secured the second, third, and fourth positions with AQI scores of 377, 362, and 360, respectively. Uttar Pradesh’s Noida claimed the fifth spot with an overall AQI of 358, followed closely by Greater Noida at 356 and Meerut at 355.
Further down the list, Bihar’s Rajgir and Arrah ranked eighth and ninth with AQI scores of 345 and 342, respectively. Haryana’s Manesar rounded off the top 10, registering an AQI of 339.
Delhi, in particular, is grappling with ‘severe’ category air quality, with areas like Alipur, Aya Nagar, Rohini recording AQI levels surpassing 400. Dwarka Sector-8 and RK Puram also reported concerning AQI levels of 401. Jahangirpuri, Punjab Bagh, and Wazirpur faced severe air quality conditions with AQI readings of 407, 415, and 427, respectively.
Other notable cities with AQI values exceeding 300 include Begusarai (308), Ghaziabad (327), Gurugram (319), Byrnihat in Meghalaya (317), Faridabad (319), Hapur in UP (329), Patna (305), and Motihari in Bihar (333).
Top 10 Polluted Cities in India:
Delhi: 388
Bikaner: 377
Bhiwadi: 362
Hanumangarh: 360
Noida: 358
Greater Noida: 356
Meerut: 355
Rajgir: 345
Arrah: 342
Manesar: 339
The Commission for Air Quality Management attributes the worsening air quality in Delhi during November to unfavorable meteorological conditions and increased paddy harvesting activity during Diwali. According to the commission, the average AQI for November 2023 was 373, compared to 380 in 2021 and 374 in 2016.
Despite this, the daily average air quality for the January to November period in 2023 showed improvement compared to the previous six years, excluding the Covid-affected 2020. The CAQM noted that the daily average AQI for Delhi during this period in 2023 was recorded at 190, against 199 in 2022, 196 in 2021, 172 in 2020, 203 in 2019, and 213 in 2018.
It is crucial to note that an AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.
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