New Delhi, India recorded the highest level of air pollution globally on Sunday morning (July 5), followed by Lahore in Pakistan, according to the Air Quality Index (AQI) reading at 8:19am. The data placed Delhi at the top of the list with hazardous air conditions, while Dhaka, Bangladesh ranked 32nd with comparatively moderate air quality.
The AQI data showed that Delhi registered a pollution score of 199, indicating unhealthy air quality conditions for the general population. Lahore followed closely with a score of 169, also categorised as unhealthy. In contrast, Dhaka’s AQI score stood at 65, placing it within the “moderate” or acceptable range.
According to the standard AQI classification, readings between 0 and 50 are considered good, 51 to 100 moderate, 101 to 150 unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151 to 200 unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy, and above 300 hazardous. Based on this scale, both Delhi and Lahore fall into the unhealthy category, while Dhaka remains within safer limits.
The rankings highlight a continued pattern of severe air pollution in major South Asian cities, particularly during seasonal weather fluctuations and urban emission peaks.
The figures were obtained from the real-time monitoring platform of IQAir at 8:19am on Sunday (July 5). The organisation tracks global air quality levels using sensor-based data from multiple monitoring stations.
-HIS
