India, Dec. 18 -- The recent major eruption of the Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia did not increase the dangerous levels of air pollution plaguing South Asia, an analysis by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) has found.

Rather, the pollution choking cities from Lahore to Dhaka is homegrown and stems from local and regional sources and weather patterns, a statement by ICIMOD noted.

The Hayli Gubbi volcanic eruption released sulphur dioxide (SO2). It is a hazardous air pollutant with severe effects on health and the environment.

However, the gas plume travelled high in the atmosphere and passed over South Asia without mixing down to ground level, satellite tracking by ICIMOD showed.

"While we tracked t...