NDTV Profit reported that Hoshiarpur and Rohtak topped an air-quality list from AQI.in, with scores above 300 and category labels that differ from India's national scale.
NDTV Profit said AQI.in's live tracker showed Hoshiarpur, Punjab, at 330 and Rohtak, Haryana, at 311 at 7:29 p.m. IST (1:59 p.m. UTC) on Saturday, Oct. 31. NDTV Profit's list ranked Hoshiarpur first and Rohtak second. The numbers express the index; they are not measurements of a specific pollutant.
The rest of the reported list included Faridkot, Punjab, at 296; Jalandhar, Punjab, at 286; Rewari, Haryana, at 279; Bathinda, Punjab, at 271; Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, at 268; Amritsar, Punjab, and Sonipat, Haryana, at 258 each; and Pathankot, Punjab, at 257.
Punjab accounted for six entries on the list, with Haryana contributing three and Uttar Pradesh one. NDTV Profit placed Amritsar and Sonipat eighth and ninth, respectively, though both had the same score.
Category names vary across indexes. AQI.in's published chart calls scores from 201–300 “Severe” and those at 301 or higher “Hazardous.” AQI.in says its report uses the U.S. AQI framework, but the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calls 201–300 “Very Unhealthy.” The EPA uses “Hazardous” for scores of 301 and above.
India's Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) uses a separate National AQI: its “Poor” band spans 201–300, “Very Poor” covers 301–400 and “Severe” is 401–500. The agency says its index combines readings from eight pollutants, including PM2.5 and PM10, with the highest relevant pollutant sub-index determining the overall score. CPCB says its 301–400 category carries increased respiratory illness risk with prolonged exposure. That guidance applies to CPCB's own scale and does not relabel AQI.in's figures.
