Delhi's Air and Water Quality Deteriorating; Why Did Bihar's Narkatiaganj Become World's Most Polluted City?

Delhi's AQI level has been consistently poor for the past few decades, except during the COVID-19 pandemic. The AQI level here ranges between 300-700. A recent survey has revealed that heavy elements have been found in the groundwater of several areas in the capital, Delhi. Read on to know what the experts say...

Most Polluted City of World: The Air Quality Index (AQI) in many Indian cities, including Delhi, has reached a dangerously high level. Today, Narkatiaganj tops the list of the world's most polluted cities, while Ghazipur and Rewari are in second and third place, respectively.

Narkatiaganj is the World's Most Polluted City

If we prepare a list of the world's top 10 most polluted cities today, Narkatiaganj in Bihar is at the top with an AQI of 788, and Kapurthala is at 10th place with 445. The air in both cities has crossed dangerous levels. Regarding air pollution in Bihar, journalist Pushyamitra states that it is not new for many cities in the state to be named in pollution reports.

‘Air Pollution Problem Increases in Winter’

Pushyamitra says that polluted air originating from Lahore and Karachi in Pakistan travels and stops at the Bay of Bengal. Bihar suffers the most from this. This is why cities in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, located below the Himalayas, are included in the list of the country's most polluted cities.

Pushyamitra states that three to four pollution monitoring meters have been installed in every district of Bihar. This work has been done at the block level. As a result, in the last few years, cities in Bihar have started appearing in the list of polluted cities. He says that due to humidity in winter, air pollution gets trapped here. If straw is burned to ward off the cold, its smoke lingers within a 50-meter radius, which contributes to increasing the level of air pollution.

10 Most Polluted Cities in the World

Rank	City	AQI
1	Narkatiaganj	788
2	Ghazipur	770
3	Rewari	557
4	Kathua	503
5	Amritsar	502
6	Jhargram	489
7	Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar	487
8	Samalkha	477
9	Shakargarh, Pakistan	451
10	Kapurthala	445

Air in the 25th Ranked City is Also Dangerous

If we expand this list of polluted cities, Baghpat in Western Uttar Pradesh comes in at the 25th position. Baghpat's AQI is also at 381 today. From a health perspective, the air here is also toxic.

‘Reducing AQI in 9-10 Months is Impossible for Any Government’

Delhi is the capital of the country, so its concern is paramount. However, the Environment Minister in the Delhi government held a press conference on Tuesday regarding Delhi's air quality index. She apologised to the people of Delhi for not being able to improve air quality and said, 'It is impossible for any elected government to reduce AQI in 9-10 months.' Assuring the public, she added, 'The government is working to fix this problem.'

In Delhi, Not Just Water, But Groundwater Has Also Become Contaminated

The entire country is worried about Delhi's air quality index reaching dangerous levels. However, in the meantime, reports have also emerged about the presence of heavy chemicals in Delhi's groundwater, which will leave no stone unturned in ruining 'Delhi's health'. A survey by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has revealed that dangerous chemical elements such as uranium, nitrate, fluoride, lead, and excessive salt are present in large quantities in the groundwater of many areas of the capital. Contaminated groundwater can spoil its taste and also cause many serious problems.

‘Uranium Causes Significant Damage to Kidneys and Bones’

The survey has revealed that the level of uranium in Delhi's groundwater has increased significantly. In many areas of the capital, borewells are used extensively for drinking water. The reason for uranium being found in the water is the mixing of sewage water with groundwater. Dr. Arif Farooqui, an orthopaedic specialist, states that if uranium accumulates in the body through water, it can damage the kidneys, bones, and many organs of the body. High levels of fluoride in water weaken teeth and bones.

Lead is Dangerous for Children and Pregnant Women: Dr. Arif

In addition to uranium, nitrate, fluoride, lead, and high salt content have also been found in Delhi's water. The mixing of sewage water into groundwater and the use of urea in fields has increased the nitrate levels in the water. An increase in lead content in water affects mental growth. This has the most significant impact on children and pregnant women. Dr. Arif also states that high salt content in water affects our digestive system and kidneys.