Guntur Air Quality Index (AQI) & Air Pollution Today

Andhra Pradesh, India — Real-time Air Quality Index (AQI) and PM2.5

Guntur AQI Right Now

61

Category: Satisfactory

Dominant Pollutant: pm10

PM2.5: 35.55 µg/m³

PM10: 60.33 µg/m³

Last updated: 2026-03-24 — Data source: Google Air Quality API (NAQI). Live NAQI values load when you visit the page.

Guntur Pollutant Levels

PollutantConcentration
PM2.535.55 µg/m³
PM1060.33 µg/m³
O₃ (Ozone)16.46 µg/m³
NO₂11.47 µg/m³
SO₂3.85 µg/m³
CO205.39 µg/m³

Health Advisory — Guntur

Satisfactory: Minor breathing discomfort to sensitive people.

Health Impact — Guntur

Cigarette Equivalent: Breathing this air is equivalent to smoking 1.6 cigarettes per day (based on current PM2.5 levels).

Life Expectancy Impact: Sustained exposure at this PM2.5 level could reduce life expectancy by 0.17 years (AQLI estimate, relative to WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³).

Health Recommendations for Guntur

  • General Population: Acceptable air quality. Unusually sensitive people should limit prolonged outdoor exertion.
  • Elderly: Minor breathing discomfort is possible.
  • Children: Should be fine outdoors with normal activities.
  • Lung Disease Patients: Consider reducing prolonged outdoor exertion.

Understanding Guntur Air Quality

Guntur, India's chilli capital and a major agricultural trading hub in the Krishna delta region of Andhra Pradesh, experiences a distinctive air quality pattern shaped by its unique agricultural processing economy. The city is the nerve centre of India's chilli trade - the Guntur chilli yard is Asia's largest - and the post-harvest season (December–March) sees the burning of chilli crop residue, dried chilli stem waste, and paddy stubble across the surrounding agricultural landscape, creating a pungent, irritant-laden smoke that is unique to this region.

Tobacco curing is another distinctive emission source: Guntur district is one of India's largest flue-cured tobacco producers, and the curing barns (which burn wood and coal to heat-dry tobacco leaves) operate intensively during January–April. These furnaces release PM2.5, CO, volatile organic compounds, and nicotine-containing particles into the ambient air. Combined with standard urban sources - vehicle exhaust along the busy Guntur-Vijayawada corridor, construction dust from Amaravati capital region development, and road dust from the black cotton soil terrain - winter PM2.5 levels typically reach 70–110 µg/m³, placing Guntur in the Moderate to Poor NAQI categories.

Guntur's position in the Krishna delta, approximately 80 km from the Bay of Bengal coast, provides moderate maritime influence that prevents the extreme pollution episodes seen in northern India. Sea breezes reach the city during afternoons, aiding pollutant dispersion. The monsoon (June–September) delivers clean air with AQI consistently in the Good to Satisfactory range. Overall, Guntur's air quality profile is comparable to neighbouring Vijayawada, though its unique agricultural processing emissions give it a distinctive seasonal character.

Primary Pollution Sources

  • Vehicle exhaust
  • Road dust
  • Agricultural burning (chilli and paddy)
  • Construction dust
  • Tobacco curing emissions
  • Waste burning

Geography: Krishna-Guntur region of coastal Andhra Pradesh; major chilli and tobacco trading centre, flat Krishna River delta terrain with moderate coastal influence

Peak pollution months: December, January, February, March

Frequently Asked Questions — Guntur

How do chilli and tobacco processing emissions affect Guntur's air quality?

Guntur's unique position as India's chilli capital and a major tobacco-producing district creates distinctive seasonal emissions. Chilli crop residue burning (December–February) releases irritant compounds including capsaicinoids in addition to standard PM2.5. Tobacco curing barns, which burn wood and coal to dry tobacco leaves (January–April), emit PM2.5, CO, VOCs, and nicotine-containing particles. Together, these agricultural processing sources create a pollution signature that is unique among Indian cities.

How does Guntur's air quality compare with Vijayawada?

Guntur and Vijayawada, separated by about 30 km in the Krishna delta, have broadly similar annual AQI profiles - both benefit from coastal influence and experience winter peaks in the Moderate to Poor range. Guntur tends to have slightly higher PM10 from agricultural processing dust (chilli and tobacco) during the post-harvest season, while Vijayawada has higher vehicular emissions due to its larger population and railway junction traffic. Both cities are significantly cleaner than Gangetic Plain cities.

Air Quality in Nearby Cities