New Delhi: The government on Tuesday termed as “inappropriate" the recent World Health Organisation (WHO) report which ranked several Indian cities, including Delhi, among top 20 most polluted ones globally, and said the data was based on “extrapolated and estimated values".

“A report was brought out by the WHO in May 2016 ranking some cities of India including Delhi among top 20 most polluted cities of the world with respect to levels of particular matter which is based on extrapolated and estimated values. The said ranking of cities is therefore not appropriate," Union environment minister Anil Madhav Dave said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

The WHO report, based on 2012-13 data, was prepared taking into consideration particulate matter PM 10 and PM 2.5 and listed Delhi as the 11th most polluted city in the world. Dave said that taking note of the gravity of air pollution in NCT of Delhi, a series of measures have been taken including regular review meetings at official and ministerial level with NCR states and NCT of Delhi.

Former environment minister Prakash Javadekar had also termed the WHO report on pollution, which had also listed over 30 Indian cities among hundred most polluted globally, as “misleading". Even environmentalists had sounded caution over the report, saying it does not give the right picture. Noting that the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had established a control room to receive complaints on burning of dry leaves and trash, Dave said that 141 complaints have been received till date and 31 of them have been resolved.

He said that the Delhi Pollution Control Committee has reported that there is a decrease in the incidents of dry leaves burning. Dave also admitted that the Municipal Solid Waste management in many cities is “not adequate".

“As per reports of state pollution control boards and pollution control committees, around 1,40,859 tonnes per day of MSW generated in the country. “Out of which 1,27,531 tonnes per day (91%) is collected and 34,434 tonnes per day (27%) is treated. The data indicates that MSW management systems in many cities and tows are not adequate," Dave said.

According to the WHO report, based on data collected between 2008 and 2013, New Delhi was the 11th most-polluted city while four other Indian cities—Gwalior (2), Allahabad (3), Patna (6) and Raipur (7)—figured in the top seven cities with worst air pollution.

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