New Delhi: Smog engulfs the national capital as the air quality worsens, on Nov 15, 2019. The air pollution emergency in Delhi has aggravated with the air quality index (AQI) spiking sharply to 528 on Friday morning.The AQI on Thursday was much lower at 470 in the 'severe plus' category. The PM 10 count was also in the severe plus category at 496 and PM 2.5 count was at 324.(Photo: IANS)
Kite birds fly above the garbage landfills site at Ghazipur in New Delhi, India. According to the central pollution control board, Indian capital is among top three Indian states with most contaminated sites and pollution including the Ghazipur and Bhalswa landfill sites. (Photo credits: Pallav Paliwal)
Delhi’s air quality has improved by nearly 15 per cent in 2020 as compared to 2019, but the city still ranks as the 10th most polluted in the world and the most polluted national capital across the world, as per a report.According to the World Air Quality Report for 2020, released recently, Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh), which falls under the National Capital Territory (NCR), is the second most polluted city in the world after China’s Xinjiang.The report also says all the rest of the 10 top polluted cities are from India — Bulandshahr, Bisrakh Jalalpur, Noida, Greater Noida, Kanpur, Lucknow (all in UP), and Bhiwadi (Rajasthan)Responding to this report, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said that the condition of the national capital has improved gradually. Citing survey reports, he said that Delhi pollution levels have fallen 15 per cent due to the various initiatives taken by the Delhi government.“Delhi is the first city in the country to shut down its power thermal plants. Our government has shown a clear intention to eliminate pollution and brought about several steps to do so, thereby attempting to make Delhi more environment-friendly,” he said.
