Karnataka tops list of cities with clean air

Karnataka dominates the list of top 10 places in India with cleanest air, according to a report by Respirer Living Sciences and Climate Trends, which analysed air quality data.

Topping this list is Aizawl in Mizoram, which had a PM2.5 concentration of 11 μg/m3, followed by Chikkamagaluru in Karnataka (17.6 μg/m3 ) and Mandikhera in Haryana (17.7 μg/m3).

In this report, Respirer Reports, an initiative of Respirer Living Sciences, analyses two sets of air quality data. The first is government’s PM2.5 data for past one year (1 October, 2022 to 30 September, 2023) to track improvement in air quality over the previous year in NCR and other cities listed in the National Clean Air Programme. The other is PM2.5 data during winter, roughly October–March when pollution levels rise.

Seven other cities in list: Chamarajanagar, Madikeri, Vijayapura, Raichur, Shivamogga, Gadag, Mysuru.