Goa, Nov. 7 -- Severe air pollution has blanketed parts of North India, with industrial and agricultural hubs in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh recording dangerously elevated Air Quality Index (AQI) levels. According to recent environmental monitoring data, Bathinda in Punjab emerged as the most polluted city in the country, registering an alarming AQI reading of 737, followed closely by neighboring Faridkot at 692. Both figures far exceed standard safety thresholds, placing both regions in an acute environmental emergency.

The broader region reflects a systemic deterioration in air quality. Patiala, also situated in Punjab, recorded the third-highest pollution level nationwide with an AQI of 473. Haryana's Sirsa followed in fourth p...