Activists warn smog in Poland's top winter resort denser than in Delhi

The European Commission said last month it was taking Poland to court over its slowness to address the issue of poor air quality caused by extensive coal-burning in homes which makes Poland's air the most polluted in Europe and poses a major risk to public health.

Around 400,000 people per year die prematurely across the European Union because of pollution, the commission says.

Air pollution in Poland is felt particularly in the south near ski resort towns such as Zakopane in the Tatra Mountains where homeowners often neglect environmental rules.

The concentration of fine dust particles associated with lung disease reached a peak this week of 520 micrograms per cubic metre in Zakopane, according to official figures from the government's environment protection inspectorate (GIOS).

Activist group Polski Alarm Smogowy, in a statement, seized on the figure to say this contrasted with official figures showing a level of 445 micrograms in New Delhi.

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