Air pollution in Maharashtra Mumbai has overtaken Delhi as the most polluted city in India. TAZAA News

Mumbai: Mumbai has overtaken the national capital Delhi to become the most polluted city in the country. According to the Swiss air tracking index IQAir, a real-time monitor of air quality, Mumbai was named the most polluted city in India and the second most polluted city in the world for the week of January 29 to February 8. According to a report published in Hindustan Times on January 29, Mumbai was ranked as the 10th worst city. Mumbai came second on February 2. However, on February 13, Mumbai overtook Delhi as the most polluted city in India and became the second most polluted city in the world in terms of air quality.

Between November and January this year, Mumbai had double the number of “bad” and “very bad” days compared to the previous three winters, according to CPCB data. According to a 2020 study by the National Environment Institute and IIT Bombay, more than 71 percent of the particulate load in Mumbai’s air is due to road or construction dust. Factories, power plants, airports and landfills contribute to Mumbai’s dirtiest air to breathe.

IQAir, the Swiss Air Tracking Index, is a real-time worldwide monitor working in partnership with UNEP and Greenpeace. It measures air quality in India using data from the Central Pollution Control Board.

Cities are categorized as “healthy”, “unhealthy” and “hazardous” according to US Air Quality Index (AQI) standards, which are stricter than India’s. According to a new list, Pakistan’s Lahore has been declared the most polluted city in the world. Mumbai is second and Kabul is third.

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The capital of India is not among the ten most polluted cities in this list. However, the level of pollution in Delhi is still very dangerous by the prescribed standards.

Published by:Imtiaz Saqib

First published:February 14, 2023 at 6:24 PM IST