Environmental problems in Delhi, India, are a threat to the well-being of the city's and area's inhabitants as well as the flora and fauna. Delhi, the ninth-most populated metropolis in the world (second largest if the entire NCR includes especially Faridabad and Gurugram– Haryana, is one of the most heavily polluted cities in India,[1] having for instance one of the country's highest volumes of particulate matter pollution.[2] The air quality index of Delhi is generally Satisfactory (51–100) and Moderate (101–200) levels between March and September, and then it drastically deteriorates to Poor (201–300), Severe (301–400), or Hazardous (401–500+) levels in five months between October and February, due to various factors including stubble burning, burning of effigies during Vijayadashami, bursting of firecrackers burning during Diwali and cold weather.[3][4][5] In May 2014 the World Health Organization announced New Delhi as the most polluted city in the world.[6]
During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in India, the air quality in Delhi and water quality of the Yamuna and Ganges river basins significantly improved as industries were closed due to the lockdown.[7][8][9][10][11]
Overcrowding and the ensuing overuse of scarce resources such as water put heavy pressure on the environment. The city suffers from air pollution caused by road dust and industry,[12] with comparatively smaller contributions from unclean engines in transportation, especially diesel-powered city buses and trucks, and 2-wheelers and 3-wheelers with two-stroke engines.[13] Another known cause of pollution is slow moving traffic due to frequent pedestrian crossings.[14]
- ^ "'Delhi most polluted among mega cities'". The Hindu. 17 September 2007. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
- ^ "Kanpur tops air pollution chart". The Times of India. 19 January 2011. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
- ^ "Pollution level in Delhi: Day after Diwali, Delhi's air turns 'hazardous". The Times of India.
- ^ "Delhi breathed easier from January to April". The Times of India.
- ^ "Air pollution: Delhi enjoys cleanest February in three years". 27 February 2018.
- ^ Madhok, Madhok (16 October 2014). "Here is why India has no clue how bad its air pollution problem is". Quartz India. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
- ^ "Lockdown makes Ganga water significantly cleaner". mint. 4 April 2020. Archived from the original on 26 November 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ "India's coronavirus lockdown reveals fresh air, cleaner rivers". India Today. 22 April 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ Babu, Nikhil M. (14 April 2020). "'Yamuna cleaner due to lockdown'". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ "Lockdown does what decades of schemes couldn't: Clean Ganga". Hindustan Times. 3 April 2020. Archived from the original on 14 April 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ "The silver lining: air pollution dips amid the lockdown". India Today. 26 April 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ Chauhan, Chetan (17 January 2011). "Blame industry, not cars, for pollution". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
- ^ White Paper on Pollution in Delhi section 2.
- ^ Tiwari, Geetam (15 June 2022). "Walking in Indian Cities – A Daily Agony for Millions". The Hindu Center. Retrieved 17 June 2022.