India holds all 20 most polluted cities with Meerut leading
India
India now holds all 20 spots on the list of the world's most polluted cities, according to AQI data.
Meerut leads with a staggering AQI of 727, while Delhi, often in the spotlight, sits at 16th place with an AQI of 524.
Even so, Delhi's air quality is dropping fast as Diwali approaches.
Experts cite crop burning and vehicles
This pollution surge stretches far beyond Delhi, hitting cities across northern India like Hapur, Hisar, Bathinda, and Meerut.
Experts point to vehicle fumes, factories, road dust, and crop burning as major reasons for these sky-high numbers (plus smoke drifting in from neighboring regions doesn't help).
With Diwali around the corner and firecrackers likely to make things worse, it's a tough time for clean air across northern India.