New Delhi: The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) Tracker has declared the National Capital Delhi the most polluted city of India in 2022.

The Tracker is a joint project of Climate Trends and Respirer Living Sciences to create an online hub for the latest updates on India’s clean air policy.

As per the data, the average PM2.5 (ultra-fine particulate matter) concentration in Delhi was 99.71 micrograms per cubic metre last year even though India’s annual average safe limit for PM 2.5 is 40 micrograms per cubic metre (ug/m3). PM2.5 is tiny particulate matter that is less than 2.5 microns in diameter and can enter the lungs and bloodstream.

Delhi neighbouring Faridabad of Haryana has been ranked the second-most polluted city with a PM 2.5 level of 95.64, while Ghaziabad was declared the third most polluted city where the PM2.5 level was 91.25.