New Delhi: According to government data, cities in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh account for nearly one-third of the total cities in India that fall below the air quality standards.
With 17 out of 94, Maharashtra had the most number of cities as identified by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) as failing to meet national air-quality standards over five years to 2015, according to a reply in the Lok Sabha by Minister of State for Environment Mahesh Sharma.
Uttar Pradesh was a close second at 15, Punjab third at eight and then Himachal Pradesh with seven.
According to a recent report, Over 95 percent of the world's population breathe unsafe air, with India and China together contributing to over half of the global deaths due to pollution caused by small particulate matter.
Exposure to air pollution contributed to more than 6 million deaths worldwide last year, playing a role in increasing the risk of stroke, heart attack, lung cancer and chronic lung disease. China and India accounted for more than half (51 percent) of the death toll, according to the report. The research found that the burden of pollution is falling hardest on the poorest communities, with the gap between the most polluted and least polluted countries rising rapidly.
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