Kanpur ranked first on WHO’s list of 15 most polluted cities

The report on ‘Political Leaders Position and Action on Air Quality in India 2014-2019’ has recently released by a Delhi-based environment body – Climate Trends. As per report, Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur has been ranked 1st on the WHO’s list of 15 most polluted cities. Faridabad (Haryana) stood at 2nd position, followed by Varanasi (UP), which is the Lok Sabha constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The report claimed that the situation in Varanasi is deteriorating as its MP has focused on beautification and infrastructure. The Air Quality index (AQI) in Varanasi reached an alarming 490 in 2017 and 384 — very poor category — in December 2018. The report also noted that MPs of Lucknow and Kanpur — Home Minister Rajnath Singh and senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi respectively — have mostly been silent on the issue of air pollution in their respective constituencies. Gaya and Patna in Bihar are 4th and 5th on the list, while Delhi is 6th and Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow is 7th. Cities of Agra, Muzaffarpur, Srinagar, Gurugram, Jaipur, Patiala and Jodhpur are also on the WHO list of most polluted cities.