Interestingly, the otherwise notorious areas for pollution in the region do not figure in the hot spots and includes residential areas, some of them upscale.
Sector 67, Gurugram, is the top polluted area in the Delhi NCR region with the Air Quality Index (AQI) count of 643. With a count of 643, it is in the hazardous zone and both PM 2.5 and PM 10 are the main pollutants in this area.
It is followed by Vasant Kunj in Delhi with an index count of 598, also in the hazardous category with PM 2.5 being the principal pollutant. As per the US Embassy data, at 4 pm on Wednesday, the AQI count was 393. The US embassy data covers Chanakyapuri area in Delhi.
The HIPA area in Gurugram comes next with a count of 595 followed by Sector 45 Gurugram with a count of 589 also in the hazardous category.
The GMDA, Gurugram, is the fifth top polluted area with a count of 566 and as found in other areas, PM 2.5 is the chief pollutant.
The otherwise more polluted Greater Noida is comparatively less with P2 in Greater Noida coming in at 6th place with a count of 542, but much less than Gurugram hot spots.
It is followed by Pashchim Vihar in Delhi with an index count of 534. Ghaziabad which is also among the hot spots usually is comparatively lesser with Bishnuli in Ghaziabad with an AQI count of 522 in the 8th spot.
Moti Nagar in Delhi, a residential area is next with an AQI count of 516, followed by a big surprise of an upscale area, Pandara Park in Lutyens' Delhi in 10th spot with a count of 518.
New Delhi Railway Station is the last on the list with an index count of 512, also in the hazardous zone and with PM 2.5 as the main pollutant.
( With inputs from IANS )