After the unbridled burning of firecrackers on Diwali, the grim picture of pollution in many cities of the country including Delhi, Kolkata came to light. This time it was known that 49 of the 50 most polluted cities in the world are in India. The recent 'very poor' (301-400) and 'hazardous' (401-500) Air Quality Index or pollution levels of cities suggest so. Which cities in India are in this list? Which is the most polluted city?
As of Tuesday morning, Sriganganagar in Rajasthan is the most polluted city in the world. At 9:54 am today, the AQI was 821. Punjab's Bhatinda (629) and Haryana's Sirsa (544) are second and third in the list respectively. Fourth and fifth are Hisar (516) and Faridkot (506). Apart from these five, most of the cities in North India are covered by a thick layer of dust. Choking conditions have developed especially in cities of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The average AQI of these cities is in the 400s.
The situation in Delhi is good among bad. AKI 393. 24th in the list of most polluted cities. One thing is clear, not only Delhi and its neighboring cities are suffering from pollution, but cities far away from the capital like Ludhiana, Patiala, Budaun, Jaunpur and Gorakhpur have entered the list of 50 most polluted cities in the world. This clearly shows how widespread India's pollution problem has become. Focus should not be on Delhi alone, as entire North India is in pollution crisis. Note that only Pakistan's Lahore has been placed outside India in the list of the world's most polluted cities. AQI 430. Fourteenth place.
When the real situation is dire, the political backlash as usual has started. Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra alleged that crops are being deliberately set on fire in unruly Punjab. He is making the burning of crops as a reason for increasing pollution. On the other hand, the Aam Aadmi Party dismissed this allegation. Although not of political parties, the list of the world's most polluted cities has come to light in India.