According to the Swiss air surveillance index IQAir, Mumbai has overtaken Delhi as India’s most polluted city and is now ranked second globally between January 29 and February 8. (a real-time worldwide air quality monitor). Mumbai was ranked 10th in the lowest places on January 29 by IQAir. Delhi unexpectedly did not make the list of the top 10 most polluted cities.
Then, on February 2, Mumbai rose to the top of the heap before tumbling the next few days. On February 8, Mumbai once more climbed to occupy the second spot. On February 13, Mumbai surpassed Delhi as India’s most polluted city, and it ranked third globally in terms of air quality.
71% of the particulate matter load in Mumbai’s air came from road or construction dust
Using information from the Central Pollution Control Board, the Swiss air tracking index IQAir measures air quality in India in partnership with UNEP and Greenpeace (CPCB). According to US air quality index (AQI) standards, it classifies air quality is “healthy,” “unhealthy,” and “hazardous.” Notably, American pollution standards are stricter than those in India.
According to the CPCB data, the number of Poor and Very Poor days in Mumbai between November and January of this year was more than double that of the preceding three winters. Construction-related dust and vehicle emissions made up the majority of the pollution in the city. A 2020 study by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) and IIT-B found that more than 71% of the particulate matter load in Mumbai’s air came from road or construction dust. The remainder was produced by factories, power plants, airports, and garbage dumps.
Top 10 most-polluted cities in the world
1. Lahore (Pakistan)
2. Mumbai (India)
3. Kabul (Afghanistan)
4. Kaohsiung (Taiwan)
5. Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan)
6. Accra (Ghana)
7. Krakow (Poland)
8. Doha (Qatar)
9. Astana (Kazakhstan)
10. Santiago (Chile)