New Delhi again tops the charts as the most polluted city in the country among 254 cities in January this year. This research is done by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).  

According to the WHO (World Health Organization), the safety limit for PM2.5 concentration is 15 micrograms per cubic meter. Whereas in Delhi, it was 206 micrograms per cubic meter. Moreover, it also exceeded the limit of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) on each day of January. 

The other cities featured in the list of the top 10 are Saharsa, Byrnihat, Greater Noida, Hanumangarh, Noida, Baddi, Sri Ganganagar, and Faridabad. The analyst at CREA also explained this a little. He said, "The lower temperature and no rainy day in Delhi during Jan aggravated the anthropogenic air pollution crisis, which is largely a result of a mismatch of policies and actions on reducing emissions and geographies in the city and larger airshed around it."

He also added, "Delhi or any other city in the country is yet to see a comprehensive approach to put emission caps and reduction targets. In the absence of an airshed level emission load reduction approach for air pollution governance and regulation, the fight will be inefficient."