Greenpeace clears the air, Delhi most polluted in India
NEW DELHI: There are virtually no places in India complying with World Health Organization and National Ambient Air Quality (NAAQ) standards, and most cities are critically polluted, a Greenpeace India report released on Wednesday said.
Titled ‘Airpocalypse’, the report assessed air quality in 168 cities across 24 states. Except for a few places in southern India, which complied with NAAQ standards, the entire country is experiencing a public health crisis due to high air pollution levels.
“The top 20 most polluted cities have PM10 levels between 268 µg/m3 and 168 µg/m3 for the year 2015. While Delhi tops the list with 268 µg/m3, it is followed closely by Ghaziabad, Allahabad and Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, Faridabad in Haryana, Jharia in Jharkhand, Alwar in Rajasthan, Ranchi, Kusunda and Bastacola in Jharkhand, Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh; and Patna in Bihar with PM10 levels ranging from 258 µg/m3to 200 µg/m3,” the report said.
The information was obtained through online reports and Right to Information applications from Average annual PM10 readings (2015) Figures in ug/m3* Delhi Ghaziabad ,UP Allahabad ,UP Bareilly, UP Faridabad, Haryana Jharia, Jharkhand Alwar, Rajasthan Ranchi, Jharkhand Kusunda, Jharkhand Bastacola, Jharkhand 60 ug/m3 standard limit state pollution control boards across India and assessment of the air quality was done in 168 cities across 24 states and Union Territories.
In 2015, 41 Indian cities with a million-plus population faced bad air quality in nearly 60% of the total days monitored, a Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report released in August 2016 had also said.
The Greenpeace report released on Wednesday said the Capital has been long established as the pollution capital of the world by WHO, 2014, and most of the debate on air pollution in India is still centered around Delhi.