Mumbai surpasses Delhi as most polluted city in India

• Image Credit: Internet

• Feb 15, 2023 | Kabir Chakraborty

On February 13, Mumbai surpassed Delhi as the most polluted city in India, and it was the third most unhealthy city in the world for air quality.

Digital Desk: According to the Swiss air tracking index IQAir, a real-time air quality monitor, Mumbai has been ranked the most polluted city in India and the second most polluted city in the world for a week between January 29 and February 8.

Mumbai was ranked 10th in the rankings for the worst position on January 29. Mumbai then took second place on February 2 before dropping in the following days. On February 8, it jumped once further to claim second position.

On February 13, Mumbai surpassed Delhi as the most polluted city in India, and it was the third most unhealthy city in the world for air quality.

Mumbai Air quality:

According to CPCB data, the number of 'Poor' and 'Very Poor' days in Mumbai between November and January this year was more than double that of the previous three winters. According to a 2020 study conducted by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) and IIT-Bombay, road or construction dust accounts for more than 71% of particulate matter load in Mumbai's air. Factories, power plants, airports, and waste dumps all contributed to Mumbai's filthiest air.

What is IQAir?

IQAir, a Swiss air tracking index and real-time global air quality monitor, works with UNEP and Greenpeace to assess air quality in India using data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The cities are classified as 'healthy,' 'unhealthy,' or 'hazardous' based on US air quality index (AQI) criteria, which are stricter than those in India.

Top 10 most-polluted cities worldwide:

1. Lahore (Pakistan)

2. Mumbai (India)

3. Kabul (Afghanistan)

4. Kaohsiung (Taiwan)

5. Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan)

6. Accra (Ghana)

7. Krakow (Poland)

8. Doha (Qatar)

9. Astana (Kazakhstan)

10. Santiago (Chile)