Gurgaon, Delhi Among the World’s Most Polluted Cities
A new AirVisual report, which covered 3,000 cities of the world, has revealed that Gurugram (a.k.a. Gurgaon) a suburb of the Indian capital New Delhi is the most polluted city of the world while 22 of the top 30 polluted cities are in India.
Also, Delhi remains the most polluted capital across the world in 2018, as per a study conducted by the environment-protection organization Greenpeace. The air quality in the national capital region has been constantly deteriorating.
The IQAir AirVisual 2018 World Air Quality Report reveals that in South Asia, out of 20 most polluted cities in the world, 18 are in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
[ Air Pollution May Cause Mass Exodus from Delhi ]
Worst Countries in Terms of Air Quality
Country 2018 air quality (Unhealthy)
Bangladesh 97.1
Pakistan 74.27
India 72.54
Afghanistan 61.8
Bahrain 59.8
An interactive tool on the Breathe Life 2030 website shows a Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 level of 143 micrograms per cubic metre (annual mean) in India’s capital New Delhi. This is over 14 times over the WHO (World Health Organization) safe level of 10 µg/m3.
[ Pollution Shortens Lifespan of Delhi Residents by Over 10 Years ]
Simply put, the people of Delhi are inhaling poison from the air. Air pollution levels get so severe that many residents regularly wear masks and authorities resort to emergency measures such as banning construction and shutting schools.
It is now being observed that many people are running away from Delhi like refugees or Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). As a result, India is falling in the category of countries with large IDP populations – such as Syria, Colombia, Iraq, Congo, Sudan, Nigeria, and Somalia.
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Travel Advisory for New Delhi, India As pollution levels remain dangerously high throughout the year in India, all travelers including business executives, tourists, and diplomats need to exercise utmost caution while planning to visit India – particularly India’s capital New Delhi. Moreover, companies and investors must not come to Delhi for setting up their businesses or for trade conferences as pollution can harm them as well as their families. Foreigners who have come to stay in India for their work, should preferably go back to their countries. Or, at least, they should not keep their children with them because Delhi’s pollution is very harmful for children. Delhi Government, the Indian Government, and the pollution-control agencies are not taking proper steps to control pollution because most politicians and bureaucrats in India are uneducated and careless. |
