New Delhi has emerged as the most polluted city in the world today, according to the air quality index (AQI) published by IQAir, a Swiss-based air quality monitoring organization. The report, released at 9:09 am on Saturday, shows that Delhi’s AQI stood at 627, placing it in the ‘hazardous’ category—the most severe level of air pollution.
Lahore in Pakistan is ranked second with an AQI of 358, which also falls under the ‘hazardous’ category. Kuwait City ranked third with a score of 269, indicating ‘very unhealthy’ air.
Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka has been ranked fourth, with an AQI reading of 227. This places the city in the ‘very unhealthy’ category, meaning the air is dangerous especially for children, the elderly, and those with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions.
In fifth place is Kolkata in India, where the AQI stood at 196, categorized as ‘unhealthy.’
AQI Range Air Quality Level
0–50 Good
51–100 Moderate
101–150 Unhealthy for sensitive groups
151–200 Unhealthy
201–300 Very Unhealthy
301+ Hazardous