Insight Bureau: New Delhi has been ranked the world’s most polluted capital city for s second consecutive year, as per the 2021 World Air Quality Report. Dhaka (Bangladesh) is in second place followed by N’Djamena (Chad), Dushanbe (Tajikistan) and Muscat (Oman).

Of the 15 most polluted cities in Central and South Asia in 2021, 12 were in India. New Delhi saw a 14.6 per cent increase in PM2.5 concentration in 2021, 96.4 Ig/m3, up from 84 Ig/m3 in 2020.