As Delhi-NCR continues to be engulfed in toxic air and the air quality keeps deteriorating, several other cities in the country have managed to keep their air clean. These cities have pristine air quality.
Delhi recorded an AQI of 479 on Friday while neighbouring Noida had an AQI of 396. Ghaziabad’s Indirapuram was comparatively cleaner and recorded an AQI of 223 in early morning hours.
Amid all of these polluted big cities, there are cities in India that are more breathable with cleaner air. Sopur in Jammu and Kashmir recorded an AQI of 10 while Dharamshala, Kulu and Manali in Himachal Pradesh recorded an AQI between 4 and 5.
In Jharkhand, Dhanbad reports an AQI of 9, while Aizawl in Mizoram registers at 4. In Nagaland’s Kohima, varying parts exhibit AQI levels between 8 to 10.
Karnataka’s Hassan, Channarayapatna, and Belur show AQI levels of 7, 8, and 10 respectively. Tamil Nadu’s Kilkunda records a 6, and Ooty varies between 3 to 10 in AQI.
West Bengal’s Baidyabati stands with the lowest AQI of 2, indicating comparatively cleaner air quality.
Delhi is facing a major air quality problem as the city is covered with a smoke blanket. The citizens have been facing health issues such as difficulty in breathing, itchy eyes and coughing.
The city was relieved by an unexpected rain on November 10 but the day after Diwali, the AQI dipped again to hazardous levels.
Doctors suggest that inhaling Delhi’s polluted air is akin to smoking around 10 cigarettes daily. Extended exposure to this high pollution level significantly escalates the likelihood of respiratory issues like asthma, bronchitis, COPD, and amplifies the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
An official from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) mentioned that calm winds and low temperatures are causing the buildup of pollutants. There’s little chance of relief in the coming days. However, an increase in wind speed expected from November 21 onwards might potentially lower air pollution levels, the official noted.