Banaras is the Third Most Polluted City in the Country

Why in News?

=> According to the list of top-10 polluted cities across the country released on January 22, 2022, Banaras was the third most polluted city in the country. Nine cities of the state are included in the list of top ten polluted cities.

Key Points:

=> Jaunpur was the second most polluted city in the country. The Air Quality Index (AQI) of Jaunpur was recorded at 325 and that of Banaras was recorded at 282. While Jaunpur is at number two, Banaras is third.

=> According to the data released by IQAir, Banaras is in the Orange Zone with 282 AQI. The most polluted areas in the city were from Balabhadra Colony, Ramnagar, Saket Nagar, Jangambari, Nati Tamarind Road, Fish Market and Lanka.

=> The top ten polluted cities are- 1. Ghatampur-333, 2. Jaunpur-325, 3. Varanasi-282, 4. Sitapur-264, 5. Madiyahun-258, 6. Unnao-236, 7. Nanpara-227, 8. Patna-222, 9. Akbarpur-219, 10. Kanpur-204.