According to a latest study, seven of the world’s top 10 most polluted cities are in India. The study also showed South Asia's fight with worsening air quality and the economic toll it is expected to take worldwide.
As per the data released by IQAir AirVisual & Greenpeace, Gurugram, which is situated southwest of New Delhi, has led all cities in pollution levels last year (2018) even though its score improved from the preceding year.
The top 10 most polluted cities in the world are:
1. Gurugram
2. Ghaziabad
3. Faisalabad, Pakistan
4. Faridabad
5. Bhiwadi
6. Noida
7. Patna
8. Hotan, China
9. Lucknow
10. Lahore, Pakistan
The index determines and evaluates the presence of fine particulate matter called PM2.5 - a pollutant that can rankle deep in the lungs along with bloodstream of humans.
In a statement released with the figures, the executive director of Greenpeace Southeast Asia, Yeb Sano said, "This has enormous impacts, on our health and on our wallets. In addition to human lives lost, there is a projected cost of dollar 225 billion in lost labor & trillions in medical costs."
India, world's fastest-growing major economy, makes up 22 of the top 30 most polluted cities, with 5 in China, 2 in Pakistan and 1 in Bangladesh. India notches up health-care costs & productivity losses from contamination of as much as 8.5 % of GDP, according to the World Bank.
Further the data mentioned that Beijing made marked advancement in its usually dismal pollution levels, with average concentrations dropping by 12 % in 2018 from the preceding year. That must help the message President Xi Jinping will share with leaders of political party on progress across the three so-called ‘critical battles’ during the National People's Congress assembly scheduled to begin this week.
