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In a bid to free Delhi of pollution, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday outlined plans for a clean, green and healthy city. Gupta chaired a meeting to discuss steps to make the national capital cleaner and pollution-free that was attended by Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, and senior officials from the environment and the public works departments, Delhi Police, Commission for Air Quality Management, Delhi Development Authority, and civic bodies. During the meeting, the chief minister directed the departments and the agencies to accelerate pollution-control efforts. "We are dedicated to creating a clean, green and healthy capital with the support of Delhi's residents," Gupta said in a post in Hindi on X. All the departments concerned were directed to take concrete and effective measures to accelerate pollution control, she said. "The government remains committed to collaborating with all stakeholders to improve air quality and expand green spaces. With the support o
Thirteen of the world's top 20 most polluted cities are in India, with Byrnihat in Assam topping the list, according to a new report published on Tuesday. The World Air Quality Report 2024 by Swiss air quality technology company IQAir said Delhi remains the most polluted capital city globally, while India ranked as the world's fifth most polluted country in 2024, down from third in 2023. The report said India saw a 7 per cent decline in PM2.5 concentrations in 2024, averaging 50.6 micrograms per cubic metre, compared to 54.4 micrograms per cubic metre in 2023. Yet, six of the world's 10 most polluted cities are in India. Delhi recorded consistently high pollution levels, with an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 91.6 micrograms per cubic metre, nearly unchanged from 92.7 micrograms per cubic metre in 2023. The 13 Indian cities in the world's top 20 most polluted cities are Byrnihat, Delhi, Mullanpur (Punjab), Faridabad, Loni, New Delhi, Gurugram, Ganganagar, Greater Noida, ...