Motihari vs Varanasi
Side-by-side air quality comparison between Motihari 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 | Motihari | Varanasi |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5(µg/m³) | 152.70 | 43.90 |
| PM10(µg/m³) | 170.90 | 53.10 |
| NO₂(µg/m³) | 59.80 | 33.30 |
| SO₂(µg/m³) | 22.90 | 32.00 |
| O₃(µg/m³) | 45.00 | 30.00 |
| CO(µg/m³) | 1174.00 | 422.00 |
CPCB Multi-Year History (2016–2024)
Summary
Overview
In 2024, Motihari averaged an AQI of 116 while Varanasi averaged 56 — a 60-point (107%) gap, with Motihari the more polluted and Varanasi the cleaner of the two. On 662 days when both cities reported, Varanasi was cleaner on 476 of them; the average daily gap was 69 AQI points.
Seasonality & days
Motihari peaks in November, while Varanasi peaks in January. Motihari logged 1.2% Severe days and 39.1% Good-or-Satisfactory days; Varanasi was 2.8% Severe and 36% Good-or-Satisfactory. Longest clean-air streaks: Motihari 26 days, Varanasi 87 days.
Year-over-year progress
Motihari has improved by 106 AQI points (47.7%) from 2021 to 2024; Varanasi has improved by 169 AQI points (75.1%) over the same window. The worst recorded day for Motihari reached AQI 448 at Gandak Colony (BSPCB) on 2022-11-17; Varanasi hit AQI 500 at Ardhali Bazar (UPPCB) on 2017-07-11.
Station-level disparity
Motihari spans 1 CPCB stations with a 0-point spread (min 153, max 153); 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 Motihari's 326. That's a significant difference of 252 points.