NEW DELHI: India’s capital, Delhi, ranked as the world’s most polluted major city on Saturday morning, according to Swiss air quality monitoring group IQAir, as authorities braced for further deterioration in air quality ahead of the Hindu festival of Diwali.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!IQAir ranked Delhi first among major cities worldwide at 10:35am, with a US Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 581, nearly double Lahore’s reading of 285 in neighbouring Pakistan.
India’s Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), using its own monitoring methodology, recorded Delhi’s AQI at 363 at 10am, placing it in the “very poor” category.
In response to worsening pollution forecasts, Indian authorities have directed schools in and around Delhi to offer online classes and encouraged people to work from home ahead of Diwali celebrations on Sunday. The festival traditionally involves widespread firecracker use, which can further aggravate air pollution.
Local media, citing official data, reported that Friday’s air quality was the worst recorded ahead of Diwali in eight years.
Air pollution is an annual challenge across northern India, particularly during the onset of winter, when colder and heavier air traps pollutants close to the ground. Vehicle emissions, construction dust and smoke from agricultural waste burning are among the major contributors to deteriorating air quality.
The expected increase in firecracker emissions during Diwali has raised further concerns about public health and environmental conditions in the Indian capital.
By Reuters
