The World Health Organization (WHO) recently published data on air pollution in various cities across the world focussing on airborne particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers known as PM2.5. The report ranked cities after studying their air for the presence of harmful gases, such as nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide, besides particulate matter (PM) 10 and 2.5. 13 of the world's 20 most polluted cities are in India, New Delhi being the most polluted of all . Smaller airborne particles or particulate matter is among the most dangerous of all these pollutants.
New Delhi, Patna, Gwalior, Raipur, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Kanpur, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Allahbad, Agra and Khanna are included among the top 20 most polluted cities in the world. High levels of air pollution has been linked to increased rate of chronic bronchitis, lung cancer and heart disease. Long term exposure to…
