Kozhikode vs Varanasi
Side-by-side air quality comparison between Kozhikode 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 | Kozhikode | Varanasi |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5(µg/m³) | 4.60 | 48.20 |
| PM10(µg/m³) | 10.30 | 57.90 |
| NO₂(µg/m³) | 0.50 | 38.80 |
| SO₂(µg/m³) | 0.30 | 27.00 |
| O₃(µg/m³) | 64.00 | 22.00 |
| CO(µg/m³) | 217.00 | 523.00 |
CPCB Multi-Year History (2016–2024)
Summary
Overview
In 2023, Kozhikode averaged an AQI of 78 while Varanasi averaged 56 — a 22-point (39%) gap, with Kozhikode the more polluted and Varanasi the cleaner of the two. On 919 days when both cities reported, Kozhikode was cleaner on 805 of them; the average daily gap was 88 AQI points.
Seasonality & days
Both cities see their worst air in January on average. Kozhikode logged 0.1% Severe days and 99% Good-or-Satisfactory days; Varanasi was 2.8% Severe and 36% Good-or-Satisfactory. Longest clean-air streaks: Kozhikode 83 days, Varanasi 87 days.
Year-over-year progress
Kozhikode has worsened by 29 AQI points (59.2%) from 2020 to 2023; Varanasi has improved by 169 AQI points (75.1%) over the same window. The worst recorded day for Kozhikode reached AQI 417 at Palayam Kozhikode (PCB) on 2021-01-25; Varanasi hit AQI 500 at Ardhali Bazar (UPPCB) on 2017-07-11.
Station-level disparity
Kozhikode spans 1 CPCB stations with a 0-point spread (min 59, max 59); Varanasi spans 4 stations with a 94-point spread (min 71, max 165).
Verdict
🏆 Kozhikode has better air quality with an AQI of 10 compared to Varanasi's 81. That's a significant difference of 71 points.