New Delhi, Jan 30: According to a fresh report on air pollution released by Greenpeace India, Delhi ranks at top of the most polluted cities in the nation. The report, which ranks the cities on basis of the PM10 particulate concentration in the air,  features the north Indian cities more prominently as compared to their southern counterpart.

None of the 280 cities surveyed in India, the study claims, adheres to the World Health Organisation recommendation of restricting PM10 concentration to 20g/m3.

Nearly 80 per cent of the cities do no even adhere to the stipulation set by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) -- which is 60g/m3.

Among top five cities listed in the report, titled Airpocalypse II, are Ghaziabad, Allahabad, Bareilly and Faridabad, apart from Delhi which tops the list.

A total of 15 cities from Uttar Pradesh feature in the top 30.

The report says that at least 630 million people in India reside in the 'red-zone' -- a reference to the region where PM10 concentration in the air has crossed the 60g/m3 mark.

Here is the list of top 25 most polluted cities of India:

To check the ranking of other cities, you can download the full report from here.

As per the assessment made by the study, a total of 47 million children -- whose age is below five - reside in the most polluted cities of India.

The report recommends the State and Central Pollution Control Boards to enact immediate measures towards detoxifying the air in Indo-Gangetic plain region, comprising the states of Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

The PM10 particulate was considered as the focal point of assessment as it is the most hazardous among all air pollutants. With the size of 1/7th the width of the human hair, it easily penetrates through the lungs, causing severe respiratory issues.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 30, 2018 03:49 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).