Looking beyond AQI: How Indian cities compare with others worldwide

Indian cities’ air pollution was even higher than the WHO set standards and worse than most cities even on the days pollution was at its lowest

In 2015, the government’s introduction of the National Air Quality Index (AQI) was considered a significant move. India, dealing with severe air quality concerns, was reliant on the US Air Quality Index measurement. But the US measure did not address the air quality standards in India. The Indian measure was much stricter—measured on a scale of 500 (the US tops at 420)—and also included measurement of lead and ammonia, which the US AQI did