Least polluted cities?

Epiphanie

Hi,

I have a sensitive respiratory system and I'm just wondering where in India the air is the least polluted - this will probably have a lot of influence on my destination selection!

Thank you for any & all feedback,

Piff

ddutta

Hallo

Pollution is everywhere (air,water, noise ........list is neverending). It is worst in big cities & metros and least in small villages, less popular beaches , upper himalayas. To have a little idea about the degree of pollution in India log on to
http://envfor.nic.in/cpcb/
www.eco-web.com/register/02437.html

timmy

My Lonely Planet reckons that Indian cities with more than 1 million population have air pollution equivalent to 20 cigarettes a day.

My experiences in Delhi, Agra and even Jaipur would probably lead me to agree.

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-m2-

best air from my observations -- hill stations, national parks, and coastal areas with on-shore breezes.

williaam

Holy S**t! Is that true! That is a whole pack of cigarettes! Can anyone else confirm this? I don't have respritory problems but if I am around smoke for too long I get all stuffed up and bloody noses sometimes. So should I assume this is what I will be dealing with?

(Am I doing something wrong by asking this on someone else's thread? Just tell me if so. Thanks!)

Merchant

It depends on the weather conditions and your particular location. If you are in the back of an auto rickshaw in the middle of one of the metros, you'll have lorrie tailpipes in your face. If there is no breeze, all the smog just hangs over the city.

Conversely, you can spend your time in a metro with little awareness of the pollution, if the winds are right. Chennai, for example, can be as bad as I have ever experienced India--or bright and clear.

Pollution in Indian cities is compounded by many things. It's not just diesel engines but factories and cooking fires. Delhi always seems to smell like smoke. Chennai and Mumbai can be clear, or oppressive. It all depends.

On the bad days, take an air-con taxi and keep the windows up.

indiamike

Personally i think the pollution is not as bad as it was a few years ago. Delhi has cleaned up incredibly. So maybe it's down to half a pack a cigarettes a day .

Thing like a sinus infections are not uncommon since there are so many particles in the air. It's a killer on me to. My usual scenario would be I go to the doctor before I go to India and tell him that I have sinus problems because of the air and will stock up on antibiotics for it. Usually this works pretty well and prevents any sinus problems and take them when I feel it coming on. Usually you can tell because your head starts pounding and you can no longer breath through your nose.

Of course this would apply to just the larger cities and outside of that you should be fine.

Most people have no problems with it but it may be a good idea to check with a doctor before you go for some suggestions from him/her.

Mike

sky888

I have to agree that the condition is never tip top but I have been there for 1 month.. Delhi, Jaipur, Udaipur, Mumbai, Humpi, Varanasi etc... And I realized it's not exactly that bad, as claimed by the media..

In any case, if you want to be safe, just avoid the major cities.. the country side offer gorgeous views and definitely good place to relax and recharge..

Cheers

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slowbus

It's also a good idea to smoke cigarettes with filters. At least then the air you breath has been filtered