In 2019, National Capital of Delhi witnessed the air quality dropping to severe level due to firecrackers, stubble burning, and other factors-the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority or EPCA declared it a public health emergency. These AQI levels are real time and on the rise, indicating the after-effects of Diwali. The national capital with an AQI above 400 is ranked hazardous followed by Haryana (394) and Uttar Pradesh (311) at severe level of air pollution. At the sub-national level, except for Goa, Kerala, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu with below 50 AQI, all states/UTs are at moderate to hazardous (with AQI 51 to 500) levels of air pollution.
According to the Air Quality Index dashboard, India is at a poor level with 192 AQI and ranked fourth among 97 countries on the extent of air pollution. PM 2.5 concentration in India is 5.2 times above the WHO annual air quality guideline. India is ranked third only to Bangladesh and Pakistan on worst air quality.
