Google Maps AQI tracker is out; Chennai in green and Delhi in red

A side-by-side comparison of the Google Maps AQI tracking feature for Chennai and Delhi
| Photo Credit: Images sourced from Google Maps and compiled on Canva by The Hindu

A new and enhanced Air Quality Index (AQI) tracker in Google Maps now allows India-based users as well as those from more countries to check local air pollution levels, so they can decide whether it is safe to venture out or not.

The AQI uses a colour-coded tracker to show how safe or polluted a region is, with green indicating largely acceptable air quality standards where special precautions are not needed, while yellow and red indicate more polluted zones where users might have to take protective action to keep themselves safe.

While Chennai was largely in the green and yellow zones, Delhi and its surrounding regions were in the red, orange, and yellow zones.

Users can access the new AQI tracker through the Google Maps app, along with trackers for traffic, public transport, bicycling, and wildfires.

Based on the area chosen for AQI tracking, Google shows warnings or recommendations that general and vulnerable users in highly polluted locations can follow for their safety, such as staying indoors or limiting physical exertion.

However, Google has warned that regional and international AQI measurements can vary greatly, due to the way pollution is measured by different regulators across jurisdictions, as well as the differing measurements collected from the user’s nearest air quality measurement stations.

Per Google, India’s AQI measurements and data points originate from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).