Top 10 polluted cities in India with AQI above 400 | Check full list

Delhi, along with Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are currently having the most polluted cities in India.

One of the major reasons on why the air of these cities are so highly polluted is being attributed to stubble burning by the farmers of Punjab and the current weather conditions which does not help in speedy dispersal of the pollutants from these areas.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”.

Top 10 polluted cities in India: Check full list

City: AQI

Delhi, India: 559

Sonipat, Haryana: 497

Faridabad, Haryana: 489

Bhiwadi, Haryana: 485

Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh: 485

Noida, Uttar Pradesh: 481

Sirsa, Haryana: 474

Hisar, Haryana: 473

Rohtak, Haryana: 460

Gurugram, Haryana: 410

SAFAR, a forecasting agency under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, had earlier said stubble burning accounted for 32 per cent of the PM2.5 pollution in the capital on Wednesday.

PM2.5 are lung-damaging fine particles that are 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter and can travel deep into the respiratory tract, reaching the lungs and entering the bloodstream.

Transport-level winds blow in the lowest two layers of the atmosphere — the troposphere and stratosphere — and carry smoke from farm fires to the national capital region.

Earlier today, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced anti-pollution curbs to control the pollution situation in the national capital. He announced that primary schools will remain closed in the city from tomorrow. 

He also ensured that the government is taking all possible measures to control the pollution situation. Kejriwal said the Delhi government is also mulling whether the odd-even scheme for vehicles should be implemented in the national capital.

(With inputs from agencies)