In 2015, pollution killed 9 million people in the world. The burning of fossil fuels and the release of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are causing the Earth to become warmer. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) latest study on the most polluted places on the planet is out, And of the 10 most polluted cities in the world, nine are in India. Based on a comparison of the average amount of PM2.5 — a particle considered so small that it can enter the lungs and cause serious health problems. Take a look at the 10 most polluted cities in the world.
10 –Gurugram, India
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Gurugram is a city just southwest of New Delhi in northern India. It’s known as a financial and technology hub. Average air pollution levels in 2018 were more than 13 times the level permitted under WHO guidelines, although air quality had actually improved slightly since the previous year.
9 –Agra, India
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Agra is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. As of 2011 India census, Agra city has a population of 1,585,704, while the population of Agra cantonment is 53,053. The urban agglomeration of Agra has a population of 1,760,285. No other monument springs to mind quicker than the Taj Mahal. Yet the city, in India’s Uttar Pradesh state, is falling behind rapidly. Polluting cooking fuels as well as cars contribute to the poor air quality. Agra’s average PM2.5 level is 131.
8 –Bamenda, Cameroon
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Bamenda, also known as Abakwa and Mankon Town, is a city in northwestern Cameroon and capital of the Northwest Region. The city has a population of about 2 million people. Unlike India’s smog-filled cities, this Cameroonian city’s air quality is compounded by extensive deforestation. It recorded an average of 132.
7 –Lucknow, India
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Lucknow, a large city in northern India, is the capital of the state of Uttar Pradesh. Famed for its Mughal architecture and colonial-era buildings, Lucknow’s parks aren’t enough to keep it out of the top 10. Lucknow recorded a PM2.5 average of 138.
6 –Delhi, India
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Delhi, India’s capital territory, is a massive metropolitan area in the country’s north. Delhi is the fifth most populous city in the world and the largest city in India area-wise. Delhi has an estimated 2016 population of 18.6 million. Formerly the world’s most polluted city, Delhi has partially cleaned up its act but still averages PM2.5 levels of 143.
5 –Patna, India
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Patna is an ancient city that sprawls along the south bank of the Ganges River in Bihar, northeast India. It had an estimated city population of 1.68 million in 2011, making it the 19th largest city in India. This sprawling ancient city on the banks of the Ganges, Patna is noisy and congested city and is used as a transport hub. It recorded 144 micrograms of PM 2.5.
4 –Varanasi, India
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Varanasi also known as Benares, Banaras or Kashi is a city on the banks of the river Ganga in Uttar Pradesh. As per provisional reports of Census India, population of Varanasi in 2011 is 1,198,491. Hindu pilgrims bathe in the river, but there is increasing concern that the air quality in the holy city has reached a crisis point. The city recorded 151 micrograms per cubic meter of the most dangerous particles.
3 –Gaya, India
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Gaya is of historical significance and is one of the major tourist attractions of the state of Bihar. Population Census of Gaya District in 2011 is 4391418. Another holy city with a myriad of both Hindu and Buddhist temples. Gaya notched 149 micrograms per cubic meter.
2 –Faridabad, India
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Faridabad is the most populous and largest city in the north Indian state of Haryana. Faridabad borders India’s capital New Delhi. Heavy traffic is just one factor that contributes to its annual average of 172 micrograms per cubic meter of PM2.5.
1 –Kanpur, India
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Kanpur is a large city in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. The city of Kanpur in northern India has an annual PM2.5 level of 173 micrograms per cubic meter, far higher than the WHO’s recommendation of no more than 10 mcg per cubic meter.
