Delhi overtakes Lahore as world's most polluted city as air quality drops
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Vehicles drive past a mist-spraying system installed between roads to control air pollution in New Delhi, India, November 13, 2026. | Photo Credit: Reuters
India’s capital, Delhi, overtook Lahore in Pakistan to become the world’s most polluted city on Friday (November 13, 2026), with air quality reaching hazardous levels and visibility dropping as smog blanketed the city of 20 million people.
An AQI reading up to 50 is considered good with little or no health risk. India’s official Central Pollution Control Board pegged the AQI higher at 403 and rated it “severe”
The Swiss and Indian readings vary due to the different AQI scales and methodologies used to calculate and classify air pollution levels.
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