Buxar Air Quality Index (AQI) & Air Pollution Today

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

Buxar AQI Right Now

85

Category: Satisfactory

Dominant Pollutant: pm10

PM2.5: 49.21 µg/m³

PM10: 84.64 µg/m³

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

Buxar Pollutant Levels

PollutantConcentration
PM2.549.21 µg/m³
PM1084.64 µg/m³
O₃ (Ozone)1.54 µg/m³
NO₂11.47 µg/m³
SO₂9.83 µg/m³
CO416.72 µg/m³

Health Advisory — Buxar

Satisfactory: Minor breathing discomfort to sensitive people.

Health Impact — Buxar

Cigarette Equivalent: Breathing this air is equivalent to smoking 2.2 cigarettes per day (based on current PM2.5 levels).

Life Expectancy Impact: Sustained exposure at this PM2.5 level could reduce life expectancy by 0.25 years (AQLI estimate, relative to WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³).

Health Recommendations for Buxar

  • 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 Buxar Air Quality

Buxar, perched on the southern bank of the Ganges in Bihar's westernmost reaches, occupies a strategically significant position both historically-as the site of the decisive 1764 battle that consolidated British rule in India-and atmospherically. Located barely twenty kilometres from the Uttar Pradesh border, Buxar receives transboundary pollution carried eastward by prevailing winter winds from the heavily polluted eastern UP belt including Varanasi, Ghazipur, and Ballia. This cross-border pollution transport means Buxar's air quality is influenced by emission sources well beyond its own boundaries.

October through January brings the worst conditions. The Ganges generates substantial moisture that combines with falling temperatures to produce dense fog banks that drift across the river and settle over the town for days at a time. Under these stagnant conditions, locally generated pollutants from brick kilns along the river corridor, household biomass burning that remains the primary cooking and heating fuel for most residents, and post-kharif crop stubble burning in the surrounding wheat-rice agricultural belt accumulate to hazardous levels. The busy NH-84 highway connecting Patna to Varanasi runs through Buxar, bringing a constant stream of heavy truck diesel emissions through the heart of the town.

Monsoon rainfall of approximately 950 to 1,100 mm from June through September clears the atmosphere and forces brick kilns to cease operations. The Ganges floods low-lying ghats and riverside areas during peak monsoon, temporarily disrupting sanitation. March through May brings dry heat and wind-blown dust from the western Gangetic plain, though prevailing westerly winds also help disperse pollutants more effectively than the calm winter air. Buxar's western position in Bihar makes it the first town to experience the eastward-moving winter haze front that later engulfs Patna and the rest of the state.

Primary Pollution Sources

  • Vehicle exhaust
  • Domestic biomass burning
  • Brick kilns
  • Agricultural crop burning
  • Road dust

Geography: Historic Ganges-bank town in westernmost Bihar near the Uttar Pradesh border; site of the 1764 Battle of Buxar, flat alluvial terrain with cross-border pollution transport

Peak pollution months: October, November, December, January

Frequently Asked Questions — Buxar

Does cross-border pollution from Uttar Pradesh affect Buxar?

Yes, significantly. Buxar is located just twenty kilometres from the UP border, and prevailing winter winds carry pollutants eastward from heavily polluted eastern UP cities like Varanasi and Ghazipur. Satellite imagery frequently shows continuous haze bands stretching from UP into western Bihar. This transboundary transport means Buxar's air quality is partly determined by emission sources beyond Bihar's control.

How does the Ganges River influence Buxar's air quality?

The Ganges creates high atmospheric moisture near Buxar that promotes dense winter fog formation, trapping pollutants at ground level for extended periods. The river corridor also channels winds that can transport pollution from upstream towns. During monsoon, Ganges flooding disrupts waste management near the ghats but the heavy rainfall cleanses the air significantly.

Air Quality in Nearby Cities