GUWAHATI: Guwahati emerged as one of India's cleanest cities in terms of air quality on Thursday, November 21, as it ranked second nationwide with an PM 2.5 Air Quality Index (AQI) of 42.
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Classified under the "good" category, it has only been overtaken by Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram, which boasted an AQI of just 32.
Guwahati’s Ambikagiri Nagar registered a PM 2.5 AQI of 32, Bongshar at 27, and Pan Bazar at a slightly higher value of 66. Incidentally, Assam’s Nagaon had a “satisfactory” rating of 56 as well.
Other cities that performed well include Bagalkot in Karnataka, which ranked third with an AQI of 45, and Thrissur in Kerala, which also recorded “good” air quality with an AQI of 48. Naharlagun in Arunachal Pradesh (AQI 58), Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu (AQI 56), and Chamarajanagar in Karnataka (AQI 51) were categorised as "satisfactory."
Delhi, once again, recorded the highest AQI nationwide at 379, falling under the “very poor” category. Chandigarh and other northern regions also grappled with deteriorating air quality, a recurring concern during the winter months due to factors like stubble burning and vehicular emissions.