Delhi Overtakes Lahore on November 13 as the World's Most Polluted Major City: IQAir Reads the Air Quality Index at a Hazardous 334, While India's Central Pollution Control Board Reads 403 and Rates It Severe
DELHI, India — India's capital Delhi overtook Lahore in Pakistan on Friday, November 13, to become the world's most polluted major city, with air quality reaching hazardous levels and visibility dropping as smog blanketed the city of 20 million people, Reuters reported. The air quality index in Delhi was hazardous at 334, making it the most polluted global major city, according to Swiss group IQAir, which measures air quality levels based on the concentration of toxins.
India's official Central Pollution Control Board pegged the index higher at 403 and rated it severe. The Swiss and Indian readings vary due to the different scales and methodologies used to calculate and classify air pollution levels, Reuters said. An index reading up to 50 is considered good, with little or no health risk.
Cars and motorcycles emerged from dense smog, which also appeared to obscure street lights on the city's main roads, videos from news agency ANI showed.
Pollution is a seasonal problem in many parts of northern India and neighbouring Pakistan, as the cold, heavy air of winter traps vehicle emissions, construction dust and smoke from agricultural burning, Reuters said.
Source: Reuters
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：印度德里雾霾中的街道（资料图，2019 年摄，本稿所涉城市）。图中是雾霾笼罩下的德里街道与车流。作者与授权：Prami.ap90，CC BY-SA 4.0，维基共享资源。 / Photo: Air pollution over Delhi in 2019 (file photo). Wikimedia Commons (Prami.ap90, CC BY-SA 4.0).
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