Begusarai vs Varanasi
Side-by-side air quality comparison between Begusarai and Varanasi.
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 | Begusarai | Varanasi |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5(µg/m³) | 88.90 | 48.20 |
| PM10(µg/m³) | 101.70 | 57.90 |
| NO₂(µg/m³) | 52.20 | 38.80 |
| SO₂(µg/m³) | 16.70 | 27.00 |
| O₃(µg/m³) | 23.00 | 22.00 |
| CO(µg/m³) | 695.00 | 523.00 |
CPCB Multi-Year History (2016–2024)
Summary
Overview
In 2024, Begusarai averaged an AQI of 128 while Varanasi averaged 56 — a 72-point (129%) gap, with Begusarai the more polluted and Varanasi the cleaner of the two. On 130 days when both cities reported, Varanasi was cleaner on 87 of them; the average daily gap was 68 AQI points.
Seasonality & days
Both cities see their worst air in January on average. Begusarai logged 8.7% Severe days and 20.8% Good-or-Satisfactory days; Varanasi was 2.8% Severe and 36% Good-or-Satisfactory. Longest clean-air streaks: Begusarai 14 days, Varanasi 87 days.
Year-over-year progress
Begusarai has improved by 137 AQI points (51.7%) from 2023 to 2024; Varanasi has improved by 169 AQI points (75.1%) over the same window. The worst recorded day for Begusarai reached AQI 469 at Lohiyanagar (BSPCB) on 2023-01-14; Varanasi hit AQI 500 at Ardhali Bazar (UPPCB) on 2017-07-11.
Station-level disparity
Begusarai spans 1 CPCB stations with a 0-point spread (min 213, max 213); Varanasi spans 4 stations with a 94-point spread (min 71, max 165).
Verdict
🏆 Varanasi has better air quality with an AQI of 81 compared to Begusarai's 196. That's a significant difference of 115 points.