Darbhanga vs Varanasi
Side-by-side air quality comparison between Darbhanga 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 | Darbhanga | Varanasi |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5(µg/m³) | 115.50 | 48.20 |
| PM10(µg/m³) | 130.40 | 57.90 |
| NO₂(µg/m³) | 53.90 | 38.80 |
| SO₂(µg/m³) | 18.40 | 27.00 |
| O₃(µg/m³) | 24.00 | 22.00 |
| CO(µg/m³) | 835.00 | 523.00 |
CPCB Multi-Year History (2016–2024)
Summary
Overview
In 2023, Darbhanga averaged an AQI of 365 while Varanasi averaged 56 — a 309-point (552%) gap, with Darbhanga the more polluted and Varanasi the cleaner of the two. On 396 days when both cities reported, Varanasi was cleaner on 311 of them; the average daily gap was 90 AQI points.
Seasonality & days
Darbhanga peaks in December, while Varanasi peaks in January. Darbhanga logged 7.1% Severe days and 26.9% Good-or-Satisfactory days; Varanasi was 2.8% Severe and 36% Good-or-Satisfactory. Longest clean-air streaks: Darbhanga 20 days, Varanasi 87 days.
Year-over-year progress
Darbhanga has worsened by 116 AQI points (46.6%) from 2021 to 2023; Varanasi has improved by 169 AQI points (75.1%) over the same window. The worst recorded day for Darbhanga reached AQI 473 at Town Hall Lal Bagh (BSPCB) on 2023-01-01; Varanasi hit AQI 500 at Ardhali Bazar (UPPCB) on 2017-07-11.
Station-level disparity
Darbhanga spans 1 CPCB stations with a 0-point spread (min 208, max 208); 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 Darbhanga's 285. That's a significant difference of 204 points.