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India’s top 10 cities with the best air quality in 2024: Global cities’ AQI insights revealed

Amid the persistent smog crisis affecting Delhi and other regions of North India, the following are the top 10 cities in India currently enjoying relatively clean air, as indicated by their impressive AQI readings by CPCB of November 2024.

AQI of Indian cities: Top 10 Pollution-Free Cities in India 2024 Photo Credit Anushree FadnavisAdnan AbidiReuters

AQI of Indian Cities in 2024: Here are the Top 10 Pollution-Free Cities in India. (Photo Credit Anushree FadnavisAdnan AbidiReuters)

Top 10 Indian Cities With The Cleanest Air and Best AQI in 2024: Following the severe smog crisis in New Delhi post-festive season, a combination of factors including a drizzle on Sunday, strong winds, and a mostly clear sky on Monday which contributed to an improvement in the city’s air quality, bringing it to the ‘moderate’ category.

As of 4 pm on Monday, the 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) was reported at 186, marking a significant improvement from the ‘very poor’ AQI of 302 recorded on Sunday. This improvement marked the fourth day this month that the city has experienced a ‘moderate’ AQI.

Know | India’s top 10 most polluted cities in 2024: Know which global cities have the worst AQI

However, the capital city’s air quality again slipped into the ‘poor’ category on Tuesday with the AQI recorded at 223.

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Nonetheless, while many cities in India continue to grapple with severe air pollution, there are several other cities which are experiencing relatively clean air with impressive AQI readings.

Top 10 Cleanest Cities in India with the Best AQI in 2024 (December 2024)

As of December 10, 2024, at 4 PM, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) identified India’s top 10 cleanest cities based on their best AQI.

Rank	City	State/UT	AQI Value	AQI Category	Primary Pollutant
1	Tirunelveli	Tamil Nadu	29	Good	PM10
2	Kanchipuram	Tamil Nadu	36	Good	PM10
3	Vijayapura	Karnataka	37	Good	PM10
4	Madikeri	Karnataka	42	Good	PM2.5
5	Thanjavur	Tamil Nadu	42	Good	PM10
6	Rishikesh	Uttarakhand	43	Good	PM10
7	Bagalkot	Karnataka	43	Good	PM10
8	Koppal	Karnataka	43	Good	PM10
9	Aizawl	Mizoram	44	Good	PM10
10	Chamarajanagar	Karnataka	45	Good	PM10

Source: Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)

Here are the remaining three cities with ‘Good’ AQI levels:

11	Bareilly	Uttar Pradesh	48	Good	PM10
12	Chikkamagaluru	Karnataka	49	Good	NO
13	Hubballi	Karnataka	49	Good	PM10

Please note: PM2.5, being finer, penetrates deeper into the lungs and bloodstream, posing higher health risks, while PM10 is larger and stays in the upper respiratory tract. Lower PM2.5 levels are prioritized for better air quality.

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The health statements for AQI categories (category, ranges and their associated health risk) by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)

Top 10 global cities with the best Air Quality Index (AQI) as of December 2024

IQAir’s live rankings highlight global cities with the cleanest air, as measured by the Air Quality Index (AQI), as of December 11, 2024.

Maintaining excellent air quality is crucial for public health, as poor air can lead to respiratory and other health problems.

Rank	City	Country	AQI (US)
1	Copenhagen	Denmark	6
2	Seattle	USA	15
3	Stockholm	Sweden	17
4	Dublin	Ireland	19
5	Auckland	New Zealand	19
6	Melbourne	Australia	20
7	Kuching	Malaysia	20
8	Sao Paulo	Brazil	22
9	London	United Kingdom	23
10	Helsinki	Finland	23

Source: IQAir.com Live Rankings (as of December 11, 2024)

IQAir AQI Status: An AQI between 0 and 50 signifies excellent air quality, that poses minimal health risks. (Source: PurpleAir Community)

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Cherry Gupta

Cherry Gupta is an Assistant Manager – Content at The Indian Express. She leads the Top 10 section, curating list-based features on key national and international developments, and manages daily news content. She also produces SEO-driven articles and collaborates with the Lifestyle team to conduct interviews with notable artists and write workplace culture features. ... Read More

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