India now tops China both in population & pollution

Last year, 65 of the 100 most polluted cities were in India

- DAN STRUMPF

INDIA AND CHINA have each struggled with throat-searing air pollution blanketing their major cities with the onset of winter. Only one country has succeeded in tackling the problem. China has made strides in scrubbing the once-foul air that had become a fact of life each year in major cities like Beijing and industrial towns across the country. Meanwhile, huge swathes of northern India continue to choke on clouds of polluted air, peaking during the winter period as temperatures drop,winds disappear and farmers across the region set their fields ablaze.

In the 30 days through November 9, levels of hazardous microparticles known as PM2.5 averaged 14 times higher in New Delhi than in Beijing, according to air-quality tracker IQAir. The picture is even more stark outside the two capitals.

Last year, 65 of the 100 most polluted cities were in India, while China had just 16, according to IQAir. Previously, it was China that dominated the list: In 2017, about three-quarters of IQAir's tally of the world's most polluted cities were in China, while 17 were in India.