KILLING POLLUTION

THE WHO report states that Kanpur is the most-polluted in the world with an annual PM2.5 average of 173 micrograms per cubic metre (μg/m3) and an annual PM10 (particulate matter of 10 micrometres or less in diametre) average of 319 (μg/m3).

MOST POLLUTED cities of the world: Delhi, Kanpur, Varanasi Next in line: Faridabad, Gaya, Patna, Agra, Muzaffarpur, Srinagar, Gurgaon, Jaipur, Patiala and Jodhpur

THE REASON: A cocktail of factors, including industrial waste, vehicular emissions and road dust

PM2.5 INCLUDES pollutants such as sulphates, nitrates and black carbon, which pose a great risk to human health.

GOVT SAYS the 2017 air quality data has shown improvement over the previous year. THE WHO estimates that around 7 million people die every year from exposure to fine particles in polluted air that penetrate deep into the lungs and cardiovascular system, causing diseases including stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and respiratory infections, including pneumonia. THE REPORT by the WHO is a warning about the serious and run-away pollution and public health emergency that confronts India today– SUNITA NARAIN, director general-CSE The government has made serious efforts to deal with air pollution and the 2017 air quality data for fine particulate matter particulate matter (PM) 2.5 has shown improvement over the previous year. – ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY