Varanasi tops list of India's most polluted cities
With an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 491 on the 500-point scale, Varanasi has become the most polluted Indian city among 42 cities, according to data from Central Pollution Control Board. The concentration of PM2.5 was eight times the safe limit, indicating a public health emergency in the city. Gurugram was the 2nd most polluted with an AQI of 480.