New Delhi: Residents of Delhi, Hyderabad and Kolkata perceived a deterioration in air quality in their cities over the past five years, while people in Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai felt no such change, The Energy and Resources Institute (Teri) found in a study.

The New Delhi-based think tank surveyed 4,039 people in the six metro cities to assess residents’ perceptions, behaviour, awareness, and opinions towards the environment.

The quality and availability of drinking water was perceived to have improved in five of the six cities, excluding Hyderabad, according to Teri’s ‘Environmental Survey 2013’ report, released on Monday.

“Our purpose is to see that issues related to environment and development get embedded in the consciousness of the people,” said R.K. Pachauri, director general, Teri.

“If we carry out an assessment of people’s attitude and how they view these issues then clearly we are also creating awareness on the major changes that are required to ensure we move on the path of sustainable development,” said Pachauri, also the chairman of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Residents of five of the six cities surveyed, except Mumbai, perceived that the forest or green cover in their cities had reduced, Teri’s study found.

On issues of waste and waste management, people from Kolkata and Mumbai felt waste management had improved in their cities, while residents of Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, and Hyderabad said waste management in their cities had worsened.