India Air Quality Index (AQI)
India is home to some of the world's most polluted cities. Explore real-time AQI, PM2.5 levels, and health advisories for all 31 states and union territories.
152
National Avg AQI
2024 annual
59 μg/m³
PM2.5 Average
12× WHO limit
793
Monitoring Stations
across India
344
Cities Measured
CPCB network
Most Polluted States
North India
Delhi
226PM2.5: 96 μg/m³Poor
Capital: New Delhi
Uttar Pradesh
218PM2.5: 91 μg/m³Poor
Capital: Lucknow
Haryana
198PM2.5: 82 μg/m³Moderate
Capital: Chandigarh
Punjab
176PM2.5: 72 μg/m³Moderate
Capital: Chandigarh
Rajasthan
158PM2.5: 62 μg/m³Moderate
Capital: Jaipur
Uttarakhand
118PM2.5: 48 μg/m³Moderate
Capital: Dehradun
Jammu & Kashmir
88PM2.5: 36 μg/m³Satisfactory
Capital: Srinagar / Jammu
Himachal Pradesh
62PM2.5: 22 μg/m³Satisfactory
Capital: Shimla
South India
Telangana
98PM2.5: 39 μg/m³Satisfactory
Capital: Hyderabad
Andhra Pradesh
92PM2.5: 37 μg/m³Satisfactory
Capital: Amaravati
Karnataka
85PM2.5: 32 μg/m³Satisfactory
Capital: Bengaluru
Tamil Nadu
78PM2.5: 30 μg/m³Satisfactory
Capital: Chennai
Puducherry
62PM2.5: 24 μg/m³Satisfactory
Capital: Puducherry
Kerala
52PM2.5: 18 μg/m³Satisfactory
Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
East India
West India
Central India
Northeast India
Assam
88PM2.5: 35 μg/m³Satisfactory
Capital: Dispur
Manipur
72PM2.5: 28 μg/m³Satisfactory
Capital: Imphal
Tripura
65PM2.5: 25 μg/m³Satisfactory
Capital: Agartala
Nagaland
55PM2.5: 20 μg/m³Satisfactory
Capital: Kohima
Mizoram
48PM2.5: 16 μg/m³Good
Capital: Aizawl
Meghalaya
45PM2.5: 15 μg/m³Good
Capital: Shillong
Arunachal Pradesh
38PM2.5: 13 μg/m³Good
Capital: Itanagar
Sikkim
35PM2.5: 11 μg/m³Good
Capital: Gangtok
Understanding India's Air Quality Crisis
Why is North India so polluted?
The Indo-Gangetic Plain geography traps pollutants — mountains to the north and calm winter winds prevent dispersal. Crop stubble burning (Oct–Nov), vehicle emissions, construction dust, and industrial output combine into dangerous smog episodes. Delhi, UP, Haryana, Punjab and Bihar are consistently the worst.
Why is South India cleaner?
Coastal states like Kerala, Goa, and Tamil Nadu benefit from two monsoon seasons, sea breezes, and higher elevation. Less heavy industry and better vegetation cover also helps. Kerala's PM2.5 is typically 5× lower than Uttar Pradesh.
India's AQI vs WHO standards
India's National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for annual PM2.5 is 40 μg/m³ — 8× higher than the WHO guideline of 5 μg/m³. Even states considered "clean" by Indian standards often breach WHO limits.
Seasonal patterns
October–February is the worst season across most of India: calm winds, fog, temperature inversions, and crop burning combine. March–June brings dust storms. July–September monsoon rains provide the cleanest air of the year for most states.