Air quality has been deteriorating across India amid winter. Over the last two months, the Air Quality Index (AQI) has fallen dangerously low in the northern regions of the country, especially in Delhi.
Delhi recorded an AQI of around 232, this morning. So we decided to compare its AQI with that of the other major cities in the world.
1. Mumbai – 181
Following heavy unseasonal rains that lashed Mumbai, the city’s skyline has been filled with haze. Weather experts stated the AQI will remain the same way for the remaining days of this week and will gradually improve early next week.
2. Bengaluru – 72
With lower PM 2.5 concentration, the air quality in Bengaluru remained much better.
3. New York – 42
With an AQI of 42, the air quality in New York remained good.
4. Ahmedabad – 191
The quality of air in Ahmedabad dropped significantly with higher PM 2.5 and PM 10 concentrations.
5. Los Angeles – 57
The year began with Los Angeles enjoying a 21-day stretch of smog-free days that overlapped with the start of coronavirus stay-at-home orders. Presently, its AQI hovers in the ‘moderate’ category.
6. Pune – 156
The air quality in Pune is deteriorating fast, with pollution levels in the city crossing the ‘moderate’ mark of the Indian National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
7. Chennai – 76
Chennai’s air quality improved in 2020 compared to the previous year. The city fared slightly better than its neighbouring metros in southern India.
8. London – 50
The AQI of London remained in the moderate category.
9. Hyderabad – 172
Vehicular emissions are believed to be a major cause behind increasing pollution in Hyderabad.
10. Kolkata – 134
Air quality turned poor across Kolkata with high concentration of particulate matter hung in the air. In the northern parts of the city, air quality was categorised ‘very poor’ as cold conditions prevailed preventing the dust particles from dispersing.
11. Tokyo – 42
The capital city of Japan recorded AQI in ‘good’ category.
12. Lucknow – 208
As pollution levels increased marginally, the air quality in Lucknow remained poor.
13. Guwahati – 169
The air quality in Guwahati also remained in the ‘unhealthy’ category.
14. Amritsar – 171
Amid cold wave in several parts of northern India, air quality in Amritsar remained poor.
15. Sydney – 27
The air quality in Sydney improved significantly to ‘good’ category.
16. Chandigarh – 106
After remaining ‘satisfactory’ and ‘moderate’ during the lockdown period and a few months after, the air quality index (AQI) again turned ‘poor’ in Chandigarh.
17. Kochi – 54
The south Indian city registered good air quality.
18. Beijing – 42
The capital city of China also recorded AQI in ‘good’ category.
19. Islamabad – 185
The air quality in Islamabad, Pakistan hovered in the ‘unhealthy’ category.
20. Dhaka – 170
Dhaka was the world’s most polluted city in 2019 and its AQI is in the ‘unhealthy’ category presently.
21. Maldives – 12
The island country which is also a top tourist destination recorded ‘very good’ quality air.
22. Jakarta – 139
The Indonesian capital registered ‘unhealthy’ air quality.
23. Berlin – 32
Berlin, the German capital, recorded very good quality air.
24. Istanbul – 61
The air quality in Turkey’s prominent cities, including Istanbul has been deteriorating.
25. Ottawa – 25
Also ranked as one of the best cities to live in the world, Ottawa recorded very low levels of pollution.
26. Christchurch – 41
The New Zealand city recorded good air quality with an AQI of 41.
27. Cape Town – 45
The capital city of South Africa recorded air in ‘good’ category.
28. Moscow – 17
Air pollution in Moscow has significantly fallen with AQI in ‘very good’ category.
How’s the air quality in your city? Let us know in the comments below.
