Five locations in Meghalaya and Mizoram Lunglei, Tura, Nongstoin, Dawki and Kolasib have emerged with some of the lowest reported annual PM2.5 concentrations among Indian locations in the World Health Organization’s latest Ambient Air Quality Database.
Lunglei and Tura recorded 6 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³), followed by Nongstoin at 7 µg/m³ and Dawki and Kolasib at 8 µg/m³. The figures are from 2021, despite the database being released in June 2026, and therefore do not represent current air quality.
The WHO’s Version 8.0 covers 8,023 human settlements across 127 countries and territories for measurements collected between 2010 and 2024. The organisation also cautions that its database is not comprehensive and that monitoring coverage, measurement methods and data quality vary between locations.
Five Northeast Locations Stand Out
The figures have placed Meghalaya and Mizoram in the spotlight in recent reports examining the Indian entries in the WHO database. Lunglei, the headquarters of Mizoram’s Lunglei district, and Tura, the headquarters of Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills district, recorded the lowest reported annual average at 6 µg/m³ each.
Nongstoin in West Khasi Hills followed at 7 µg/m³, while Dawki in West Jaintia Hills and Kolasib in Mizoram recorded 8 µg/m³. Recent reports by India Today NE and The Meghalayan Express described the readings as among the lowest reported annual PM2.5 levels in the Indian entries.
PM2.5 refers to fine particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter. The WHO says its database compiles ground-level measurements intended to represent air quality across a city or town, rather than simply reporting conditions at an individual monitoring station. Its primary sources include official national and sub-national datasets, government reports and government websites.
However, the figures should not be presented as an official WHO ranking of India’s cleanest cities. The WHO specifically notes that the database has coverage and accessibility gaps and that measurement methods and data quality differ between regions. This is particularly relevant when comparing smaller towns with large metropolitan areas that have substantially different monitoring networks.
Why The 2021 Date Matters
The biggest caveat is the age of the readings. Although Version 8.0 was released on June 30, 2026, the five figures highlighted in the Indian analysis are from 2021. They therefore provide a historical snapshot rather than evidence of what residents in Lunglei, Tura, Nongstoin, Dawki or Kolasib are breathing in September 2026.
There is also evidence showing why different air-quality datasets need to be read carefully. Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board data records Tura’s annual average PM2.5 concentration at 17 µg/m³ in 2021, 16 µg/m³ in 2022 and 16.2 µg/m³ in 2022 according to its monitoring tables. Its annual report also states that PM2.5 levels at the Tura monitoring station remained within India’s National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
Similarly, Meghalaya’s pollution-control data records Dawki’s annual average PM2.5 concentration at 21.1 µg/m³ in 2021, rising to 23.5 µg/m³ in 2023. MoSPI’s EnviStats India 2022 recorded 2021 annual PM2.5 averages of 16 µg/m³ for Dawki, 18 µg/m³ for Nongstoin and 12 µg/m³ for Tura under the National Air Quality Monitoring Programme.
These differences do not, by themselves, establish that one dataset is incorrect. They underline that air-quality figures can depend on the source, monitoring location, methodology and aggregation used. The WHO itself says its measurements aim to represent a settlement as a whole rather than an individual monitoring station.
The Northeast’s Air Quality Story
The five locations also reflect the distinct geographical and urban characteristics of parts of the Northeast. Tura lies around the Garo Hills, while Nongstoin is located in Meghalaya’s highland interior. Dawki sits close to the India-Bangladesh border and is known for the Umngot River.
Lunglei is in southern Mizoram, while Kolasib lies in northern Mizoram near the Assam border. Recent reports have linked the low readings to the relatively small and hilly nature of these urban centres, although the available WHO data does not establish geography as the sole reason for the reported concentrations.
The monitoring infrastructure itself is an important part of the story. Meghalaya’s State Pollution Control Board lists air-quality monitoring stations in places including Dawki and Tura, while Mizoram’s government records show PM2.5 monitoring at stations in both Kolasib and Lunglei. Mizoram’s Economic Survey for 2022–23, for instance, listed two PM2.5-enabled monitoring stations each in Kolasib and Lunglei.
The WHO database is updated every two to three years and is used as an input for Sustainable Development Goal Indicator 11.6.2 on air quality in cities. Its purpose is therefore broader than producing a league table of the cleanest places.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The reported figures from Lunglei, Tura, Nongstoin, Dawki and Kolasib offer a welcome reminder that India’s air-pollution story extends beyond the familiar headlines from major metropolitan centres. At the same time, celebrating these numbers without acknowledging that they are from 2021 could create a misleading picture of present-day air quality.
The more useful takeaway is the need for consistent, transparent and accessible monitoring, particularly in smaller towns and regions that receive less attention. Better data can help communities, governments and citizens understand environmental changes and respond before pollution becomes a larger public-health concern.
Also read: Jay Meena Makes History As India’s First-Ever Asian Games Soft Tennis Medallist
