Delhi is not the Most Polluted City in the Country

A recent Study has showed that the National Captial is not the most polluted city of the country.Three northern cities have beaten Delhi to become India's most polluted this year, with Bihar capital Patna emerging as the forerunner, a study released by IIT-Kanpur and Shakti Foundation shows. The other two cities occupying prominent positions on the list are Kanpur and Varanasi both in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh.The study places Delhi at number 4 on the list of most polluted cities.

The study also revealed that the country witnessed 50% more pollution than China this year. It is based on data studied over a 45-day period through October and November last year.Dr S Tripathi of IIT Kanpur said China seemed to be doing much better than India as far as curbing pollution was concerned.

The study showed that Patna, Kanpur and Varanasi suffered from poor or severe air quality over 31 days between October and November, with particulate matter (PM) 2.5 levels hitting 170 micrograms per cubic metre and above. PM 2.5 particles reduce visibility and cause serious health issues.

"We have got the stats, and are worried about Patna. We have made an action plan for the capital city, and are trying to implement it. Brick kilns that do not conform to our norms have been banned. We have asked builders to cover structures under construction to ensure that the air is not further polluted, and asked for roads to be cleaned regularly," said Bihar Environment Minister Sushil Modi.

We need to do something about this. It is a matter of great concern.We need to look at the long-term development pathway, and figure out how India can be turned into a zero carbon emitter in the future.