Chennai vs Kollam
Side-by-side air quality comparison between Chennai and Kollam.
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 | Chennai | Kollam |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5(µg/m³) | 11.70 | 5.50 |
| PM10(µg/m³) | 13.10 | 7.90 |
| NO₂(µg/m³) | 14.20 | 3.80 |
| SO₂(µg/m³) | 10.10 | 1.60 |
| O₃(µg/m³) | 56.00 | 33.00 |
| CO(µg/m³) | 308.00 | 96.00 |
CPCB Multi-Year History (2016–2024)
Summary
Overview
In 2024, Chennai averaged an AQI of 68 while Kollam averaged 84 — a 16-point (24%) gap, with Kollam the more polluted and Chennai the cleaner of the two. On 1119 days when both cities reported, Kollam was cleaner on 679 of them; the average daily gap was 38 AQI points.
Seasonality & days
Chennai peaks in December, while Kollam peaks in January. Chennai logged 0% Severe days and 57.5% Good-or-Satisfactory days; Kollam was 0% Severe and 81% Good-or-Satisfactory. Longest clean-air streaks: Chennai 53 days, Kollam 65 days.
Year-over-year progress
Chennai has improved by 25 AQI points (26.9%) from 2017 to 2024; Kollam has improved by 2 AQI points (2.3%) over the same window. The worst recorded day for Chennai reached AQI 391 at Kodungaiyur (TNPCB) on 2021-05-14; Kollam hit AQI 272 at Polayathode Kollam (PCB) on 2024-04-06.
Station-level disparity
Chennai spans 9 CPCB stations with a 27-point spread (min 63, max 90); Kollam spans 1 stations with a 0-point spread (min 84, max 84).
Verdict
🏆 Kollam has better air quality with an AQI of 9 compared to Chennai's 20.