MC Pollution Dashboard: December brings relief, air quality improves in most cities

Air quality in Delhi improves, but remains worst among meyros

December has been a whiff for fresh air, with air quality improving across cities, including  Delhi, data released by the Central Pollution Control Board shows.

On December 2, the number of cities with "good" air quality rose to 28 for the first time in more than two weeks. More than 10 percent of the 242 cities that reported data for December 2 had an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of below 50.

Two out of five cities had AQI levels below 100, while just 13.2 percent of the cities had poor or worse air quality.

An AQI reading between 0 and 50 is considered good, 51 and 100 satisfactory, 101 and 200 moderate, 201 and 300 poor, 301 and 400 very poor, 401 and 450 severe, and above 450 severe-plus.

Chennai was the only metro with good air on December 2 with an AQI of 40, the second straight day of clean for Tamil Nadu’s capital.

Bengaluru’s AQI was 53, while Hyderabad had an AQI of 79.

Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai, however, all had an AQI reading of above 100. Kolkata was 104 and Mumbai’s air quality worsened to a one-week high of 174 on December 2.

The air quality in the national capital improved to 280 from 285 the previous day and above 340 a week ago but it remained the most polluted metro.

Two cities had AQI of above 300. The industrial town of Byrnihat on the Assam-Meghalaya border had an AQI of 334 and Bihar's Hajipur 316.

Aizwal in Mizoram and Madikeri in Karnataka had the best air.

Among the international cities, New York, London and Beijing all had AQI levels below 50, according to IQAir data.

London’s AQI of 25 was better than that of 239 Indian cities, while New York’s 42 was better than that of 224 of the 242 Indian cities that reported data for December 2.