New Delhi, Oct 18 (ANI): India has launched a new air quality index to help citizens understand complex pollution data and its implications for their health, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said. A World Health Organization (WHO) study of 1,600 cities released in May found New Delhi had the world's dirtiest air with an annual average of 153 micrograms of small particulates, known as PM2.5, per cubic metre. The new index, launched as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Clean India Mission', will provide one consolidated number after tracking eight pollutants and will use colour coding to describe associated health impacts. Currently, India's air quality status is reported through "voluminous data", the government said. This makes it difficult for people to understand particle names such as PM2.5 or PM10.
