Pollution in cities is a direct cause of rising health hazards among its citizens.
According to the World Health Organization, air pollution causes an estimated 7 million deaths worldwide due to bad air quality.
Apart from air pollution, there are several other factors also which contribute to the pollution levels of a city/country.
We take a look...
China tops the list when it comes to the most polluted cities any country has.
Kampala, Uganda
Rapid Urbanization and extreme population growth are the number one causes of poor air quality.
Add to that residential trash, dust and soot from the biomass cook stoves.
The worst affected are the children who have to put up with the polluted environment hazardous to their growth.
Uganda's polluted air is also characterized by the smoke from car and bike exhausts.
Baoding, China
One of the most polluted cities of China, its smog levels are the highest in the entire country.
It tops the worst air quality in entire China.
The pollution levels are so high that it can almost burn your eyes and leave an acidic taste in your mouth.
The winters are the worst in Baoding with fog, smoke and air pollution working in tandem, worsening the pollution levels.
So much so that you cannot even see the buildings in the near distance.
Hengshui, China
Situated in the Hebei province in China, Hengshui is the largest steel producing city and also has factories of the same.
It also contributes majorly to the economy of the nation.
Though the steel factories contribute immensely to the economy, it has at the same time lead to the worsening of the air.
The factories emit particles which can seriously affect the lungs causing respiratory damage.
Xingtai, China
Probably the most unhealthy of all cities is Xingtai.
The air quality here is the lowest and often citizens have not even witnessed a blue sky for months.
The air pollution here is caused due to the abundance of coal mining.
The intensity of the air pollution is so dangerous that it can cause cancer.
Gazipur, Bangladesh
Situated in Bangladesh, Gazipur has an alarmingly low air quality.
To top it, very high population and very poor sanitation contribute to the pollution levels in the city.
Very high concentration of construction works, brick kilns, and vehicles running on poor quality sulfur are the top factors making way for pollution.
Majority of the people, mostly children suffer from asthma and other respiratory illness in Gazipur.
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Nestled in a narrow valley is the city of Ulaanbaatar.
Rising levels of smoke from the factories and excessive use of coal stoves have contributed to the smoke levels in the city.
Add to that the uneven growth of settlements on the outskirts of the city have contributed to various water and sewage problems.
Use of air purifiers, especially in schools, offices and homes is a very common norm in Ulanbaatar.
The rising smoke from the coal factories give rise to a pink layer of smog in the Ulaanbaatar skies. Citizens do not sometimes witness a blue sky for months.
Yanbu, Saudi Arabia
A highly industrialized city in the Middle East, the various factories are the stronghold of the economy.
It is an extremely affluent city of Saudi Arabia.
However the industries give rise to ozone, sulphur di-oxide and aerosol particles.
Sometimes when there are sandstorms in the desert of Saudi Arabia, the dust particles float in the city contaminating the air and the quality.
Al-Ahmadi, Kuwait
A district located in Southern Kuwait, it is the Mecca of Oil production.
The first discovery of oil happened here.
It is also the HQ of the Kuwait National Petroleum and Kuwait Oil Company. Along with that a lot of oil refineries are located here.
However, the extreme concentration of oil and processing plants gives rise to dangerous gases and harmful pollutants.
The high concentration of gases gives rise to various breathing problems, shortness of breath and various respiratory diseases.
Muzaffarpur, India
Located in North India, it is the most populated city in the country.
Lack of adequate resources, poor city planning and unprecedented population growth are all the factors contributing to pollution in the city.
A poor roads in Muzaffarpur.
There is excessive use of cooking stoves in many of the households and burning of dry fodder in the neighboring villages.
All these factors give rise to excessive level of humidity aggravating the pollution even further.