Top Indian Destinations with an Air Quality Index Under 50 for Clean Air Getaways
As urban India suffers poor air quality, several destinations offer a reprieve with an Air Quality Index (AQI) under 50, indicating excellent air quality. These include hill stations, heritage cities, and forested regions such as Udaipur, Nilgiri Hills, Sikkim, Wayanad, Odisha’s Chilika Lake, Pondicherry, Coorg, Meghalaya, Panchgani/Mahabaleshwar, and Goa, all known for clean air and natural beauty.
The article highlights the severe air pollution challenges in major Indian cities, with some exceeding the AQI scale limit of 500, signaling hazardous pollution. In contrast, it focuses on ten travel destinations in India with AQI levels under 50, considered excellent for air quality, offering fresh air and respite. These places include Udaipur, known for its palaces and lakes; the Nilgiri Hills in Tamil Nadu with scenic tea gardens; Sikkim with rhododendron forests near Kanchenjunga; Kalpetta/Wayanad in Kerala with natural caves and waterfalls; Odisha’s Chilika Lake, famed for Irrawaddy dolphins and birds; Pondicherry, blending yogic living and French aesthetics; Coorg’s rainforest eco-resort; Meghalaya’s serene Shillong; Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar with berry farms and trekking; and Goa’s heritage Portuguese architecture by the Mandovi river. AQI is explained as a pollution measure encompassing multiple pollutants, calculated in India mainly by CPCB and others using the EPA scale. The article emphasizes that while urban life contends with pollution affecting health and lifestyle, these destinations provide cleaner environments ideal for mindful travel and rejuvenation amid nature and culture.
