Delhi, Ghaziabad and Noida emerged as the most polluted cities in October, while Dharuhera in Haryana was ranked first, according to a study by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) released on Tuesday.
Air quality in the capital remained in the “very poor” category in recent days.
The national capital was ranked the sixth most polluted city in the country in October, with an average concentration of 107 µg/m³, three times the September average of 36 µg/m³.
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The need for a long-term action plan
The CREA report said the sharp rise in pollution levels, despite stubble burning contributing less than 6% to Delhi’s PM2.5 levels in October, highlights the impact of year-round emission sources.
It also noted that long-term mitigation plans beyond short-term seasonal measures, such as a tiered response action plan, are needed.
Dharuhera violates the NAAQS limit
Dharuhera, which recorded two “severe” and nine “very poor” days in October, violated the National Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) limit on 77% of the days.
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Top 10 most polluted cities in October
After Dharuher, Rohtak, Ghaziabad, Noida, Ballabgarh, Delhi, Bhiwadi, Greater Noida, Hapur and Gurgaon were ranked among the top 10 most polluted cities in India.
10 most polluted cities.
Overall, four cities, one each from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, dominated the top 10 list, all of which are located in NCR.
The cleanest city in October
Shillong in Meghalaya was India’s cleanest city in October with an average PM2.5 concentration of 10 µg/m³.
Besides Shillong, Gangtok, Mysuru, Kunjemura, Nagapattinam, Koppal, Chikkamagaluru, Yadgir, Tirunelveli and Perundurai were among the cleanest cities.
Out of 249 cities, 212 recorded PM2.5 levels below India’s NAAQS of 60 µg/m³. However, only six cities met the World Health Organization (WHO) daily safety guideline of 15 µg/m³, the report said.
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Delhi AQI remains in the very poor category
On Tuesday, Delhi recorded a marginally better Air Quality Index (AQI) compared to Monday. However, pollution levels in several parts of the city remained alarming. Since Diwali, the AQI in the National Capital Region (NCR) has been categorized as “poor” and “very poor” in several areas.
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“Monitor AQI, wear an N95 mask”
Earlier this week, Dr Randeep Guleria, former director of AIIMS Delhi, said that those with underlying respiratory problems need to be extra careful, adding, “If you have to go out, wear a mask. An N95 mask is better than a regular mask.”
17,188 deaths in 2023 linked to pollution
According to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) analysis, air pollution remains the leading cause of nearly 15% of all deaths in Delhi in 2023, posing the biggest human health risk.
According to GBD 2023 data released by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), exposure to ambient particulate pollution in Delhi accounted for an estimated 17,188 deaths in 2023.
AQI levels
An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered “good”, 51-100 “satisfactory”, 101-200 “moderate”, 201-300 “poor”, 301-400 “very poor” and 401-500 “severe”.
