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The 14 most polluted cities in the world are all in one countryhttps://www.businessinsider.in/miscellaneous/the-14-most-polluted-cities-in-the-world-are-all-in-one-country/slidelist/64239471.cms2018-05-19T22:46:44+05:30

The 14 most polluted cities in the world are all in one country

May 19, 2018, 22:46 IST

India has many of the most polluted cities in the world. The World Health Organization recently announced that the 14 most polluted cities are all in India.

In some cities, air pollution reduces visibility to 400 meters or less.

In many cities, locals have resorted to wearing surgical masks outside.

Delhi, India's capital, was hit especially hard by pollution in 2016. A particularly thick cloud of smog shrouded the city for more than a week, forcing school cancellations and protests around the city.

Athletes like this visiting cricket player from Sri Lanka take precautions when they play in India. In 2017, two cricketers threw up on the field when Sri Lanka and India played a test match.

In 2017, the amount of hazardous particles in the air spiked to 75 times the level considered safe by the World Health Organization.

Experts compared the pollution in Delhi to smoking 44 cigarettes a day.

Pollution has even helped cause the iconic Taj Mahal to turn yellow, Indian officials said.

One of the main sources of India's air pollution is coal-burning factories.

Heavy vehicle traffic plays a part, too.

And in many towns, such as Kanpur, the most polluted city on the list, unpaved roads send thick plumes of dirt and dust into the air.

The pollution is having a debilitating effect on people's health. The local hospital is overcrowded with patients with respiratory problems. One doctor told Reuters they admit a new lung cancer patient every week.

Thirty percent of all premature deaths in India — more than 2.5 million a year — are caused by pollution, according to New Delhi's Centre for Science and Environment.

Many local governments recognize the dangers of pollution, but only a handful have the resources to take action.

"This is truly a health emergency," said Anumita Roychowdhury, an executive director at the Centre for Science and Environment.

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