U.S. Mission India NowCast Air Quality Index

The U.S. Embassy and Consulates’ air quality monitors measure airborne fine particulate matter (commonly referred to as PM 2.5 because they are less than or equal to 2.5 microns in diameter) on the compounds of the Embassy and Consulates. Data from a single monitoring station cannot be applied to an entire city. Therefore, air quality data collected at the U.S. Embassy and Consulates may differ from other monitors located in the same cities.

The air quality data collected by the U.S. Mission in India is translated into actionable information by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) NowCast algorithm. This algorithm converts raw PM 2.5 readings into an air quality index (AQI) value that can help inform health-related decisions. The index is calculated based on data over a 3-12 hour period depending on the variability of particulate concentration.

PM 2.5 is a standard recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and allows us to compare against U.S. standard measures. For more information on PM2.5 and air quality in general, please visit the EPA’s website. U.S. Mission India does not track other contaminants that contribute to air pollution [e.g. coarse dust particles (PM10), ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and carbon monoxide (CO)].

If a reading of “-999” appears for any of the U.S. Embassy’s or Consulates’ readings, please disregard it as this indicates that the data is currently unavailable for the site in question.

AQI updates from U.S. Mission New Delhi air quality monitor is also now available on a trial basis via the @USAndIndia Twitter Feed at 7:30 and 17:30 daily to assist you in planning your day and evening activities.

New Delhi

• The U.S. Embassy’s air pollution monitor covers the area of Chanakyapuri.  The data displayed is the U.S. EPA Air Quality Index.
• The Central Pollution Control Board air pollution monitoring sites cover the areas of Dilshad Garden, ITO, Shadipur, Delhi College of Engineering, and Dwarka.  The data is displayed in raw concentrations only and has not been converted to an Air Quality Index.
• The Indian Meteorological Department air pollution monitoring sites cover the areas of Mathura Road, Aya Nagar (Gurgaon area), IMD Delhi (Jor Bagh area), IGI Airport, IITM Delhi, Noida, Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital (Ghaziabad area), Dhirpur, Delhi University, Pitampura.  The data is displayed using IMD’s own air quality index, different from that of the U.S. EPA.  The numbers are not directly comparable. Click here for IMD operated “System of Air quality Forecasting And Research (SAFAR)” from Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune.

 

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Air Quality Data from the Consulates

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Chennai

• The U.S. Consulate General’s air pollution monitor covers the area of Gopalapurum. The data displayed is the U.S. EPA Air Quality Index.
• The Central Pollution Control Board air pollution monitoring sites cover the areas of Alandur, IIT and Manali. The data is displayed in raw concentrations only and has not been converted to an Air Quality Index.
• The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board air pollution monitoring sites cover the areas of Adayar, Kilpauk, Anna Nagar, and T. Nagar. The data is displayed in raw concentrations only and has not been converted to an Air Quality Index.

 

 

 

 

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Hyderabad

• The U.S. Consulate General’s air pollution monitor covers the area of Secundarabad. The data displayed is the U.S. EPA Air Quality Index.
• The Central Pollution Control Board air pollution monitor site covers the area of Sanathnagar. The data is displayed in raw concentrations only and has not been converted to an Air Quality Index.
• The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board air pollution monitoring sites cover nine monitoring stations in Hyderabad, however, the neighborhoods covered are not stated. The link provides trends in annual average concentrations only.

 

 

 

 

 

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Kolkata

• The U.S. Consulate General’s air pollution monitor covers the area of Park Street. The data displayed is the U.S. EPA Air Quality Index.
• The West Bengal Pollution Control Board air pollution monitoring sites cover the areas of Rabindrabharati, Victoria Memorial, Ultadanga, Moulali, Baishnabghata, Salt Lake Minto Park, Paribesh Bhawan, Dunlop Bridge, Shyambazar and Behala Chowrasta. The data is displayed in raw concentrations only and has not been converted to an Air Quality Index.

 

 

 

 

 

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Mumbai

• The U.S. Consulate General’s air pollution monitor covers the area of Bandra. The data displayed is the U.S. EPA Air Quality Index.
• The Central Pollution Control Board air pollution monitoring site covers the area of Aorli. The data is displayed in raw concentrations only and has not been converted to an Air Quality Index.
• The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board air pollution monitoring sites cover the areas of Sion, Bandra and Worli. The data is displayed in raw concentrations only and has not been converted to an Air Quality Index.

 

Air Quality Index Levels of Health Concern	Numerical Value	Meaning
Good	0 to 50	Air quality is considered satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk
Moderate	51 to 100	Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups	101 to 150	Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is not likely to be affected.
Unhealthy	151 to 200	Everyone may begin to experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.
Very Unhealthy	201 to 300	Health warnings of emergency conditions. The entire population is more likely to be affected.
Hazardous	301 to 500	Health alert: everyone may experience more serious health effects.