Ghaziabad, Nov. 18 -- The city on Monday became the most polluted city in the country and the only one to record a "severe" Air Quality Index (AQI), according to the daily bulletin released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) at 4pm. This was the second consecutive day of "severe" air for Ghaziabad after Sunday's AQI stood at 419.

CPCB data showed Ghaziabad recorded an AQI of 401 on Monday, with PM2.5 as the primary pollutant. Three of the four monitoring stations at Indirapuram, Loni and Sanjay Nagar recorded AQI levels of 365, 414 and 433, respectively by evening. Figures from the Vasundhara station were unavailable due to a technical issue.

The Indirapuram monitoring station, operated by the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control ...