Industrialist Harsh Goenka took a sarcastic dig at people who supported bursting firecrackers amid concerns over rising air pollution, saying the country had secured the second position among the world’s most polluted cities.
In a post on social media platform X, Goenka congratulated those who had insisted on bursting more crackers, sarcastically suggesting India missed out on the “#1 spot” in global pollution rankings.
“Congratulations to everyone who insisted we burst more crackers. You were absolutely right! We are now proudly at #2 among the world’s most polluted cities. Clearly, we should have burst a little more to clinch the top spot. What a missed opportunity!” he wrote.
Goenka’s remarks appeared to criticise the continued use of firecrackers despite concerns over deteriorating air quality.
Goenka’s post comes amid renewed debate over firecracker use during festivals and its impact on air quality, particularly in Delhi-NCR, where pollution levels often deteriorate during the winter months.
Overview of India’s Global AQI Rankings
According to the Airleaf live global air quality tracking report published on November 10, 2026:
Top ranking Indian cities: Gwalior recorded the worst air pollution in India with an AQI of 816, placing it at #3 globally. It was followed closely by Kota (#7, AQI 698), Jodhpur (#8, AQI 694), Unnao (#9, AQI 693), and Kanpur (#10, AQI 693).
Out of the top 50 most polluted cities listed globally, India accounts for 22 cities.
New Delhi ranked #39 globally with an AQI of 416, which falls within the “Hazardous” category ($AQI > 300$). Other major urban hubs like Lucknow (#25, AQI 519), Bhopal (#28, AQI 500), and Ahmedabad (#44, AQI 397) also registered extreme air toxicity.
Gwalior is India’s most polluted city
Gwalior is India’s highest-ranked city, occupying the third position globally with an AQI of 816.
Rajasthan’s Kota ranks seventh worldwide with an AQI of 698, followed by Jodhpur at 694. Uttar Pradesh cities also feature prominently, with Unnao and Kanpur both recording AQI readings of 693.
Other Indian cities in the top 25 include Hapur (641), Meerut (641), Soyibug (522) and Lucknow (519).
The presence of several Indian cities in the upper half of the rankings underscores the scale of the air pollution challenge across the country.
Delhi, Ahmedabad and other major cities feature in list
Delhi also features among the world’s 50 most polluted cities, although it ranks lower than several smaller Indian urban centres.
New Delhi occupies the 39th position globally, with an AQI of 416. Kirari Suleman Nagar ranks 40th at 410, while Bhalswa Jahangirpur is at 41st with an AQI of 400.
Delhi Cantonment follows at 42nd position with an AQI of 398.
Other major Indian cities on the list include Ahmedabad (397), Nagpur (392), Varanasi (380), Ludhiana (376), Loni (374) and Ghaziabad (358).
Ghaziabad, at the 50th position, has the lowest AQI reading among the cities featured in the ranking.
What do the AQI readings mean?
The graphic uses the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) AQI colour categories to illustrate the severity of air pollution.
According to the classification shown, an AQI reading of 0-50 is considered good, while 51-100 is moderate. Readings between 101 and 150 are classified as unhealthy for sensitive groups, and 151-200 as unhealthy.
An AQI of 201-300 is categorised as very unhealthy, while readings above 300 fall into the hazardous category in the graphic.
The exceptionally high readings reported for several cities in India and Pakistan point to severe air-quality concerns.
