India is home to 7 of world's top 10 most polluted cities
A new report released on Tuesday ranks seven cities across India in its top 10 list of most polluted cities around the world.
The information was compiled by IQ AirVisual and Greenpeace and is based on a daily measure of air pollution based on fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the air for 2018.
Gurugram, located just southwest of New Delhi, topped the list this year with an average daily PM2.5 level of 135.8.
Indian commuters wait for transport amid thick blanket of smog on the outskirts of New Delhi, India, on Friday 10 November 2017. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
For comparison, the World Health Organization has set healthy air guidelines for PM2.5 at 25 per day.
The statistics do not get any better for India outside of the top 10, as 22 of the top 30 most polluted cities are located in the country.
Other countries represented in the top 30 most polluted cities list include China, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Motorists drive surrounded by smog in New Delhi, India, on Wednesday 8 November 2017. A thick gray haze enveloped India's capital on Wednesday as air pollution hit hazardous levels. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
The Indian government, which has faced scrutiny over high levels of air pollution for years, continues to try to combat the problem with little success based on this most recent study.
Late in 2018, New Delhi was fined by the National Green Tribunal for failure to enforce laws limiting pollutants emitted by factories, according to Channel News Asia.
There have been many attempts to limit air pollution in cities across India such as heavy truck bans, reducing construction projects at certain times of the year and shutting down power plants.
While government action has largely failed to reduce air quality problems across northern India, the weather is also a factor.
"Air quality in northern India, and specifically New Delhi, deteriorates to extremely unhealthy levels each autumn as dry, calm weather combines with the city's own pollution and smoke from the surrounding areas," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Faith Eherts.
The lack of storm systems crossing the region prevents the air pollution from being disbursed and allows air quality levels to reach unsafe levels.
Air pollution is often a continued problem throughout northern India during the spring and early summer until monsoon rain arrives in July and August.
Despite a wetter-than-normal start to 2019, pollution continues to be an issue across northern India.
A period of largely tranquil weather across northern India this week will cause air pollution levels to rise.
A storm system will bring the risk for rainfall and mountain snow to northern India early next week and could bring some limited air quality improvement.
In 2018, the World Health Organization announced a list of the top 20 most polluted cities. The entire top 10 consisted of cities in northern India, with 14 of the top 20 being from India.
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