New Delhi is More Polluted than Beijing: Study

New Delhi has surpassed Beijing as the most polluted major city in the world according to new research from the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), which reports that the Indian capital will continue to be more polluted than its Chinese counterpart because it is not doing as much to protect public health.

Beijing has frequently been in the news for its out-of-control pollution, but officials there are making an effort to reduce pollution levels in the city, but New Delhi has not taken as proactive of an approach, the CSE said - even a superficial one like showing residents an artificial sunrise, as happened in Beijing one recent morning.

Although the report does peg New Delhi as more polluted than Beijing, China's capital city is no breath of fresh air. Pollution in Beijing this month exceeded the World Health Organization's recommended exposure levels by twentyfold.

"Both the cities face serious pressures to clean up their air; both have unique challenges," the CSE said in a statement. "After years of consistent and aggressive efforts Beijing has evidence to show improvement in its air quality. But New Delhi has lost its air quality gains."

Based on data collected between November 2013 and January 2014, the CSE reports that New Delhi's levels of pollution surpassed Beijing's.

The most harmful pollutants are grouped in a category known as PM2.5. In New Delhi, PM2.5 levels peaked at 575 micrograms per cubic meter between November and January. During the same time period in Beijing the PM2.5 level was never higher than 400 micrograms per cubic meter - still a dangerous level, but significantly less than that seen in New Delhi.

London, by comparison, has an average PM2.5 level of 20 micrograms per cubic meter, which is considered safe, according to CNN.

The CSE report goes on to say that Beijing has made gains by adopting an air quality index program and a health alert system to inform and warn its residents of air quality. New Delhi, meanwhile, continues to have "weak" enforcement of pollution laws and weak overall pollution-reduction strategies.

One study in 2012 found that one-third of the school-aged children in New Delhi had reduced lung function, the CSE said.

"Soft options are all exhausted in Delhi," the CSE said. "The city needs aggressive and time-bound action to meet clean air standards and reduce public health risks."

The group said that reducing the number of vehicles on the road in New Delhi and upgrading the public transportation infrastructure so that it is more efficient and used more frequently will be able to contribute to some pollution gains, as will changing vehicle emissions standards.