Lucknow vs Varanasi
Side-by-side air quality comparison between Lucknow 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 | Lucknow | Varanasi |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5(µg/m³) | 107.30 | 48.20 |
| PM10(µg/m³) | 189.50 | 57.90 |
| NO₂(µg/m³) | 83.80 | 38.80 |
| SO₂(µg/m³) | 28.40 | 27.00 |
| O₃(µg/m³) | 0.00 | 22.00 |
| CO(µg/m³) | 474.00 | 523.00 |
CPCB Multi-Year History (2016–2024)
Summary
Overview
In 2024, Lucknow averaged an AQI of 127 while Varanasi averaged 56 — a 71-point (127%) gap, with Lucknow the more polluted and Varanasi the cleaner of the two. On 2396 days when both cities reported, Varanasi was cleaner on 1914 of them; the average daily gap was 77 AQI points.
Seasonality & days
Lucknow peaks in November, while Varanasi peaks in January. Lucknow logged 6.6% Severe days and 19.4% Good-or-Satisfactory days; Varanasi was 2.8% Severe and 36% Good-or-Satisfactory. Longest clean-air streaks: Lucknow 45 days, Varanasi 87 days.
Year-over-year progress
Lucknow has improved by 89 AQI points (41.2%) from 2016 to 2024; Varanasi has improved by 169 AQI points (75.1%) over the same window. The worst recorded day for Lucknow reached AQI 500 at Lalbagh (CPCB) on 2017-11-09; Varanasi hit AQI 500 at Ardhali Bazar (UPPCB) on 2017-07-11.
Station-level disparity
Lucknow spans 7 CPCB stations with a 119-point spread (min 97, max 216); 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 Lucknow's 258. That's a significant difference of 177 points.