Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath on Saturday likened Delhi to a “gas chamber” due to air pollution in the national capital, adding that the residents of his state enjoy a clean environment and are not being suffocated despite developmental work, PTI reported.

While Delhi is often ranked the world’s most polluted capital, Uttar Pradesh in November accounted for six of the most polluted cities in the country.

Speaking at an event in Gorakhpur, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader said that one of the biggest global challenges today was environmental degradation. However, the environment in Uttar Pradesh was quite good, Adityanath said, adding that there was no pollution.

“Without pollution, there are fewer diseases,” the news agency quoted him as saying. “Whenever pollution exists, it harms the lungs. If our supply of oxygen is compromised, the entire body suffers.”

The chief minister added that the situation in Delhi was dire.

“It feels like a gas chamber,” he said. “…breathing is difficult, and there’s a burning sensation in the eyes. Doctors advise those suffering from asthma, as well as the elderly and children, to stay indoors. What kind of life is this?"

Any disruption to the environment could lead to similar circumstances, he said. “We are fortunate here,” PTI quoted Adityanath as saying. “We have development without a suffocating environment.”

Air quality deteriorates sharply in the winter months in Delhi, which is often ranked the world’s most polluted capital. Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana, vehicular pollution, along with the lighting of firecrackers during Diwali, falling temperatures, decreased wind speeds and emissions from industries and coal-fired plants contribute to the problem.

However, Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad was ranked the most polluted city in the country in November, registering an average PM2.5 concentration of 224 micrograms per cubic metre, according to a report by the think tank Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.

PM2.5 refers to tiny airborne particles that are about 30 times smaller than the width of a human hair and can easily be breathed into the lungs and the bloodstream.

India’s National Ambient Air Quality Standards prescribe a “safe” PM2.5 limit of 60 μg/m3 (micrograms per cubic metre of air) over a 24-hour period. The World Health Organization prescribes 15 μg/m3.

According to the report released on December 5, Ghaziabad was followed by Noida, Bahadurgarh, Delhi, Hapur, Greater Noida, Baghpat, Sonipat, Meerut and Rohtak in the list of most polluted cities in the country.

Uttar Pradesh accounted for six of these cities, followed by three in Haryana.