Allahabad air quality map

Is there a lot of useful information about air quality on the air pollution map for Allahabad?

The air pollution map for Allahabad is very easy to find once on the main city page. Clicking anywhere on the map icon will open up a new page which is dedicated to providing all the useful information about air quality for the city and its environs.

When the map page first opens, the viewer might be surprised at the overall intense colouration of the map. The choice of colour is governed by the current air quality with colours ranging from pale green to dark maroon where the darker colours represent worse air quality. The colours are standard across the entire IQAir website to avoid confusion. There are also some coloured circles or discs scattered across the map. These represent the location of the ground-level air monitoring stations that provide the city with its information about air pollution. At the centre of each disc is a number which is the United States Air Quality Index reading or US AQI for short. It is calculated by recording the measurements from up to six of the most commonly found air pollutants present in the city air. They are usually both sizes of Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and ozone. Once established it is used as a standard when comparing air quality in various cities across the globe. It is endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Looking back to the main city page there is a coloured banner at the top which shows the US AQI reading and indicates the air quality by the use of a background colour. Currently, the colour is yellow which indicates “Moderate” air quality as can be seen by the US AQI reading which is 95 and from the “Moderate” bracket. All six of the main pollutants were measured but it is PM2.5 which is used as the standard. It had a recorded level of 33.2 µg/m³ which is over six and a half times the target figure of 5 µg/m³ as recommended by the WHO.

Scrolling down to below the air pollution map for Allahabad can be seen the number of contributors there are and how many stations they operate. There are currently two stations in Allahabad both of which are operated by the Central Pollution Control Board which is a government body.

Is there any more fascinating information about air quality on the air pollution map for Allahabad?

There is more information about air quality on the air pollution map for Allahabad, but in order to see everything, the page needs to be viewed in full-screen mode otherwise some parts may remain obscured. This is easy to achieve by pressing the icon at the top of the page.

Once viewed in this manner, there will be a list of four options that can be seen down the left-hand side of the screen. These can all be turned off and on individually to get a clear idea of what each of them does.

The first option shows the location of all the ground-level air monitoring stations that there are in and around the city. They are not necessarily under the influence of the city’s administration though. Each of the coloured discs holds even more information about that specific area and can be selected to gain that knowledge.

Option number two shows the location of any wildfires that might be burning in the vicinity. In December 2022, there were no fires burning out of control and no icons on the map. If any fires are detected then option four needs to be opened because this shows the speed and direction of the prevailing winds and will give an indication of where the smoke may blow.

The third option changes the background colour of the map to reflect the current air quality. If the air is poor, the colour of the map will be dark and maybe a little overpowering, in which case, the option can be deactivated and the colour will revert to a more subdued palette.

More information can be found on the right-hand side of the page where a table will be seen. This table shows the ranking of world cities according to their levels of air pollution. Only seven cities are shown by default but the page can be further explored by selecting the full ranking in order to see the rest of the participating cities.

Can areas of higher pollution levels be seen on the air quality map for Allahabad?

These areas can be identified by looking for the disc with the highest number and/or the darkest colour. Alternatively, by scrolling further down the page, a list will be seen which shows the stations in descending order of air quality. Currently, the station with the highest levels of air pollution is located at Motilal Nehru NIT, Prayagraj and shows a US AQI reading of 93 which is classified as being “Moderate”.

Just beneath this list is another which shows the popularity of each station and the number of followers each one has. Currently, the most followed station is at Nagar Nigam, Prayagraj with 164 followers.

Can the source of the polluted air be seen on the air quality map for Allahabad?

It is not possible to directly identify the source of the polluted air on the air quality map for Allahabad, however, it is known that the major sources of ambient particulate matter pollution in India are domestic and commercial biomass burning, windblown mineral dust, coal burning for energy generation, industrial emissions, agricultural stubble burning and garbage There are incinerators, construction works, brick kilns, transport vehicles and diesel generators. The reason for domestic pollution is the solid fuel used for cooking, which includes firewood, cow dung, agriculture, stone and charcoal etc.

PM2.5 often appears on the air pollution map for Allahabad, but what is it?

Some particles are more dangerous than others. Particles such as dust, soot, dirt or smoke, are large or dark enough to be visible. But the worst particles that can do the most damage are minuscule particles, known as PM10 and PM2.5. PM2.5 particles are invisible to the naked eye and only viewed through a microscope. They are small enough to pass through the lungs, into the bloodstream and into your organs. Generally, they come from the combustion of solid and liquid fossil fuels, through power generation, domestic heating and internal combustion engines.