Kurnool Air Quality Index (AQI) & Air Pollution Today

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

Kurnool AQI Right Now

63

Category: Satisfactory

Dominant Pollutant: pm10

PM2.5: 30.32 µg/m³

PM10: 62.52 µg/m³

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

Kurnool Pollutant Levels

PollutantConcentration
PM2.530.32 µg/m³
PM1062.52 µg/m³
O₃ (Ozone)43.02 µg/m³
NO₂17.55 µg/m³
SO₂2.85 µg/m³
CO370.5 µg/m³

Health Advisory — Kurnool

Satisfactory: Minor breathing discomfort to sensitive people.

Health Impact — Kurnool

Cigarette Equivalent: Breathing this air is equivalent to smoking 1.4 cigarettes per day (based on current PM2.5 levels).

Life Expectancy Impact: Sustained exposure at this PM2.5 level could reduce life expectancy by 0.13 years (AQLI estimate, relative to WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³).

Health Recommendations for Kurnool

  • 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 Kurnool Air Quality

Kurnool, the former judicial capital of Andhra Pradesh, sits at the confluence of the Tungabhadra and Handri rivers in the drought-prone Rayalaseema region. The city is at the edge of one of India's major cement manufacturing belts, with large-scale limestone quarrying and cement plants in the surrounding districts generating persistent mineral dust that settles across the urban area. The Kurnool-Kunderu valley's semi-arid Deccan terrain, receiving less than 650mm of annual rainfall, means dry conditions prevail for most of the year, favouring dust accumulation.

Winter months (November–February) bring the worst air quality as temperature inversions over the flat Rayalaseema plateau trap cement plant emissions, limestone quarrying dust, vehicle exhaust, and agricultural stubble burning from surrounding groundnut and cotton fields. The Tungabhadra-Handri confluence area's low-lying terrain can create localised fog-haze episodes during early morning hours that keep PM10 levels elevated. Heavy truck traffic carrying cement, limestone, and agricultural produce through the city compounds the problem.

The monsoon season (June–September) provides the cleanest air, though Kurnool's location in the rain-shadow region of the Western Ghats means rainfall is relatively modest. Post-monsoon drying rapidly returns dust levels to moderate-to-poor ranges. The city's growing urbanisation, driven by its administrative significance and cement industry employment, continues to add vehicular and construction sources to the air pollution mix.

Primary Pollution Sources

  • Vehicle exhaust
  • Cement industry emissions
  • Road dust
  • Agricultural burning
  • Construction dust
  • Limestone quarrying

Geography: Tungabhadra-Handri River junction in Rayalaseema; major cement manufacturing belt, semi-arid Deccan, former judicial capital of AP

Peak pollution months: November, December, January, February

Frequently Asked Questions — Kurnool

How does the cement industry affect Kurnool's air quality?

Kurnool sits near a major cement manufacturing belt with large-scale limestone quarrying operations. Cement plants release particulate matter and mineral dust from clinker production and limestone crushing, while quarrying generates coarse PM10 particles. Heavy truck traffic transporting limestone and cement adds to vehicular emissions throughout the city.

Why is Kurnool's Rayalaseema location relevant to air quality?

The Rayalaseema region is one of India's most drought-prone areas, receiving less than 650mm of annual rainfall. This semi-arid climate means limited natural washout of airborne particulates, and the flat Deccan terrain lacks topographic features that could aid pollutant dispersion. Agricultural burning from groundnut and cotton fields adds seasonal emissions.

Air Quality in Nearby Cities