Air pollution: Delhi emerges as 6th polluted city in India in October, Dharuhera tops chart, reveals study
A study released by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) highligted the need for long-term mitigation plans beyond short seasonal measures like the Graded Response Action Plan as Delhi emerged as sixth most polluted city in country in October.
Delhi, Ghaziabad and Noida emerged as the most polluted cities in October, while Dharuhera in Haryana topped the chart, according to a study by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) released on Tuesday.
The air quality in the national capital remained in the ‘very poor’ category over the last few days.
The national capital was ranked the sixth most polluted city in the country in October, with an average concentration of 107 µg/m³, three times higher than its September average of 36 µg/m³.
Need for a long-term action plan
The report by CREA says that the sharp rise in pollution levels, despite stubble burning contributing less than 6% of Delhi’s PM2.5 levels in October, highlights the impact of year-round emission sources.
It also noted that there is a need for long-term mitigation plans beyond short-term seasonal measures, such as the Graded Response Action Plan.
Dharuhera breaches NAAQS limit
On 77% of days, Dharuhera, which recorded two ‘Severe’ and nine ‘Very Poor’ days in October, breached the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) limit.
Top 10 most polluted cities in October
After Dharuhera, Rohtak, Ghaziabad, Noida, Ballabgarh, Delhi, Bhiwadi, Greater Noida, Hapur, and Gurgaon were ranked among the top 10 most polluted cities in India.
Overall, four cities, each from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, dominated the top 10 list, all of which are located within the NCR.
Cleanest city in October
Shillong in Meghalaya was India’s cleanest city in October with an average PM2.5 concentration of 10 µg/m³.
Apart from Shillong, Gangtok, Mysuru, Kunjemura, Nagapattinam, Koppal, Chikkamagaluru, Yadgir, Tirunelveli, and Perundurai were among the cleanest cities.
Out of 249 cities, 212 recorded PM2.5 levels below India’s NAAQS of 60 µg/m³. However, only six cities met the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) daily safe guideline of 15 µg/m³, said the report.
Delhi AQI remains in very poor category
On Tuesday, Delhi recorded a marginally improved Air Quality Index (AQI) compared to Monday. However, pollution levels across several parts of the city remained alarming. Since Diwali, the AQI in the National Capital Region (NCR) has been categorised as 'poor' and ‘very poor’ in several areas.
‘Monitor AQI, wear N95 mask'
Earlier this week, Dr Randeep Guleria, the former director of AIIMS Delhi, said that those who have underlying respiratory conditions need to be extra careful, adding, “If you have to go out, wear a mask. An N95 mask is better than an ordinary mask.”
17,188 deaths in 2023 linked to pollution
According to Global Burden of Disease (GBD) analytical data, Air pollution remains the leading cause of nearly 15% of all deaths in Delhi in 2023, accounting for the single largest health risk to people.
Exposure to ambient particulate matter pollution resulted in an estimated 17,188 deaths in Delhi in 2023, according to the GBD 2023 data released by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME).
AQI levels
An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51-100 ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor', and 401-500 ‘severe’.