Dhanbad vs Varanasi
Side-by-side air quality comparison between Dhanbad 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 | Dhanbad | Varanasi |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5(µg/m³) | 100.40 | 43.90 |
| PM10(µg/m³) | 108.70 | 53.10 |
| NO₂(µg/m³) | 59.30 | 33.30 |
| SO₂(µg/m³) | 192.90 | 32.00 |
| O₃(µg/m³) | 39.00 | 30.00 |
| CO(µg/m³) | 581.00 | 422.00 |
CPCB Multi-Year History (2016–2024)
Summary
Overview
In 2024, Dhanbad averaged an AQI of 161 while Varanasi averaged 56 — a 105-point (188%) gap, with Dhanbad the more polluted and Varanasi the cleaner of the two. On 226 days when both cities reported, Varanasi was cleaner on 222 of them; the average daily gap was 112 AQI points.
Seasonality & days
Dhanbad peaks in November, while Varanasi peaks in January. Dhanbad logged 0.4% Severe days and 3.1% Good-or-Satisfactory days; Varanasi was 2.8% Severe and 36% Good-or-Satisfactory. Longest clean-air streaks: Dhanbad 2 days, Varanasi 87 days.
Year-over-year progress
The worst recorded day for Dhanbad reached AQI 436 at Kalakusuma (DMC) on 2024-04-28; Varanasi hit AQI 500 at Ardhali Bazar (UPPCB) on 2017-07-11.
Station-level disparity
Dhanbad spans 2 CPCB stations with a 12-point spread (min 156, max 168); Varanasi spans 4 stations with a 94-point spread (min 71, max 165).
Verdict
🏆 Varanasi has better air quality with an AQI of 74 compared to Dhanbad's 235. That's a significant difference of 161 points.