New Delhi, February 25: At a time when the United States President Donald Trump is in two-day India tour, a report revealed two-third of the world's most polluted cities are in India. The World Air Quality Report, 2019, by IQAir AirVisual showed that 14 of the world's 20 most polluted cities are in India. Despite several government policies to address air pollution, Ghaziabad topped the list of most polluted cities in 2019. Delhi was ranked most polluted capital in the world. Pollution Report: From Indian Places With 'Hazardous' Air To Places Around the World With Absolutely Clean Air, A Look At The AQI Numbers.

The reported noted that there was a 20 percent decrease in national air pollution in the country between 2018 and 2019. However, it attributed the drop due to economic slowdown in India. "Whilst cities in India, on average, exceed the WHO target for annual PM2.5 exposure by 500 percent, national air pollution decreased by 20 percent from 2018 to 2019, with 98 percent of cities experiencing improvements. These improvements are believed to be largely a result of economic slow-down," a statement issued by IQAir AirVisual said.

Frank Hammes, CEO of IQAir, said, “While the new coronavirus is dominating international headlines, a silent killer is contributing to nearly 7 million more deaths a year: air pollution. Through compiling and visualising data from thousands of air quality monitoring stations, the 2019 World Air Quality Report gives new context to the world’s leading environmental health threat."

India, China and other countries in Asia remain largely affected by polluted air as a result of crowded cities, coal-fired power plants, vehicular exhaust, industrial emissions and agricultural burning. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that toxic air kills around seven million people year.

Bangladesh was ranked the "world's most polluted country", while its capital city Dhaka was second most polluted after Delhi. Pakistan was second most polluted nations followed by Mongolia, Afghanistan, India and Indonesia.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 25, 2020 05:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).