Varanasi Tops The List of Country’s Most Polluted City

Pollution level is categorised as 'severe' when the AQI ranges between 401 and 500

New Delhi, Nov 12: At a time when National Capital is hitting the headlines over alarming levels of pollution, a report by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has found that the air quality of holy city Varanasi is most polluted among the 42 cities monitored recently.

Varanasi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) at 4 PM was at an alarming  491, followed by Gurugram at 480, Delhi at 468, Lucknow at 462 and Kanpur at 461. Notably, pollution level is categorised as ‘severe’ when the AQI ranges between 401 and 500, which affects healthy people and seriously impacts those with existing diseases.

The stubble burning by farmers in northern states of Punjab and Haryana are speculated to have added to the factors causing pollution in the northern belt of India.

The air pollution in the national capital has worsened in the last few days, with air quality dropping to ‘severe’ category and a thick toxic smog enshrouding the region. Besides hampering visibility on road, the situation has become a public health emergency.

In the wake of incessant air pollution and smog, some schools in Delhi shifted their winter opening and closing timings by an hour.

The Delhi High Court also issued a slew of directions to control pollution in Delhi-NCR and banned felling of trees, ordered sprinkling of water on roads to control dust and strict enforcement of construction code.

(With inputs from agencies)