Ambala vs Salem
Side-by-side air quality comparison between Ambala and Salem.
Live AQI from Open-Meteo CAMS (~45 km global model, updated hourly). Multi-year history from CPCB station data via aqinow.co pipeline (2016–2024, station-level daily records).
AQI Comparison
Pollutant-level comparison (PM2.5, PM10, O3, NO2, SO2, CO)▾
| Pollutant | Ambala | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5(µg/m³) | 44.90 | 13.70 |
| PM10(µg/m³) | 117.80 | 16.40 |
| NO₂(µg/m³) | 13.20 | 15.30 |
| SO₂(µg/m³) | 11.50 | 9.30 |
| O₃(µg/m³) | 100.00 | 37.00 |
| CO(µg/m³) | 547.00 | 240.00 |
CPCB Multi-Year History (2016–2024)
Summary
Overview
In 2024, Ambala averaged an AQI of 94 while Salem averaged 68 — a 26-point (38%) gap, with Ambala the more polluted and Salem the cleaner of the two. On 355 days when both cities reported, Salem was cleaner on 276 of them; the average daily gap was 53 AQI points.
Seasonality & days
Ambala peaks in November, while Salem peaks in April. Ambala logged 0.2% Severe days and 46.5% Good-or-Satisfactory days; Salem was 0% Severe and 87.1% Good-or-Satisfactory. Longest clean-air streaks: Ambala 44 days, Salem 17 days.
Year-over-year progress
Ambala has improved by 52 AQI points (35.6%) from 2019 to 2024; Salem has improved by 5 AQI points (6.8%) over the same window. The worst recorded day for Ambala reached AQI 452 at Patti Mehar (HSPCB) on 2020-11-04; Salem hit AQI 214 at Sona College of Technology (TNPCB) on 2024-01-15.
Station-level disparity
Ambala spans 1 CPCB stations with a 0-point spread (min 126, max 126); Salem spans 1 stations with a 0-point spread (min 73, max 73).
Verdict
🏆 Salem has better air quality with an AQI of 23 compared to Ambala's 113. That's a significant difference of 90 points.