44% of cities in the country have polluted air; Delhi-Ghaziabad most polluted, Burnihat also included

New data has emerged on the air quality situation in cities across India. According to a report by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), it has been found that 44% of cities in the country have poor air quality. The list includes the national capital Delhi and Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh. The city of Burnihat in Meghalaya has also found a place in the list of polluted cities. At the same time, it has also been noted in the report that only 4% of cities have 'good' air quality, meaning clean air. According to the information provided by the CPCB, the air quality of 132 cities in the country has been assessed. Out of these, 58 cities have been included in the 'poor' category. Apart from major cities like Delhi and Ghaziabad, cities like Noida in Uttar Pradesh, Kolkata in West Bengal, and Ludhiana in Punjab are also included. Despite being a small city in northeastern India, Burnihat in Meghalaya has also been included in the list of polluted cities. For measuring air quality, the levels of fine particles like PM 2.5 and PM 10, and pollutants like nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and carbon monoxide (CO) are taken into account. PM 2.5 and PM 10 are considered to be the most harmful to the lungs. Experts believe that the increasing number of vehicles, industrial emissions, and construction activities in many cities are leading to rising pollution levels. According to the information provided by the CPCB, it has been noted that only 5 cities have 'good' air quality, meaning clean air. These include Alappuzha in Kerala, Madurai in Tamil Nadu, and Madikeri in Karnataka. Although the government is implementing various measures to control pollution, it is taking time for the pollution levels in cities to decrease.