Darbhanga Air Quality Index (AQI) & Air Pollution Today

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

Darbhanga AQI Right Now

93

Category: Satisfactory

Dominant Pollutant: pm25

PM2.5: 55.79 µg/m³

PM10: 84.5 µg/m³

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

Darbhanga Pollutant Levels

PollutantConcentration
PM2.555.79 µg/m³
PM1084.5 µg/m³
O₃ (Ozone)10.45 µg/m³
NO₂16.45 µg/m³
SO₂3.12 µg/m³
CO415.6 µg/m³

Health Advisory — Darbhanga

Satisfactory: Minor breathing discomfort to sensitive people.

Health Impact — Darbhanga

Cigarette Equivalent: Breathing this air is equivalent to smoking 2.5 cigarettes per day (based on current PM2.5 levels).

Life Expectancy Impact: Sustained exposure at this PM2.5 level could reduce life expectancy by 0.3 years (AQLI estimate, relative to WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³).

Health Recommendations for Darbhanga

  • 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 Darbhanga Air Quality

Darbhanga, the cultural capital of the ancient Mithila region in north Bihar, sits on the flat Gangetic floodplain at an elevation barely above sea level. The city's geography - surrounded by the Bagmati and Kamla rivers on an alluvial plain with a very high water table - creates ideal conditions for the dense winter fog that defines its worst air quality months. Like much of the Bihar Gangetic belt, Darbhanga experiences some of India's most prolonged and severe winter temperature inversions, with fog episodes regularly lasting multiple days and trapping PM2.5 well above 200 µg/m³ during November and December.

The dominant pollution sources in Darbhanga reflect the city's economic profile: widespread domestic biomass burning (dung cakes, wood, and crop residue) for cooking and heating, brick kilns operating on the city's periphery through the dry season, vehicle exhaust on congested arterial roads, and post-harvest agricultural burning from surrounding rice paddies in October and November. Darbhanga is also a significant milk and agricultural trading hub, with heavy truck traffic contributing diesel exhaust. Open waste burning is commonplace in residential and peri-urban areas in the absence of adequate municipal waste management.

The monsoon season (June–September) brings heavy rainfall (1,200–1,400 mm) that effectively cleanses the atmosphere and temporarily suppresses brick kiln and biomass emissions. The Kamla and Bagmati rivers, prone to annual flooding, create post-flood standing water that briefly worsens sanitation conditions before drying. Darbhanga's rapid growth as a regional commercial centre, driven by improved rail connectivity and the upcoming Darbhanga Airport expansion, is increasing vehicle numbers and construction activity - making emission management increasingly important.

Primary Pollution Sources

  • Vehicle exhaust
  • Brick kilns
  • Domestic biomass burning
  • Agricultural burning
  • Road dust
  • Open waste burning

Geography: Mithila cultural heartland in north Bihar on the Bagmati and Kamla rivers; flat Gangetic floodplain, high water table, severe winter fog, agricultural hinterland

Peak pollution months: November, December, January, February

Frequently Asked Questions — Darbhanga

What is the AQI in Darbhanga today?

Darbhanga's AQI fluctuates significantly by season. Winter months (November–February) typically show Very Poor to Severe readings (NAQI 300–400+) due to dense fog trapping biomass burning and brick kiln emissions. Summer and post-monsoon months are much cleaner, with AQI often in the Satisfactory to Moderate range.

What causes air pollution in Darbhanga?

Darbhanga's pollution is primarily driven by domestic biomass burning (dung cakes, wood, crop residue) for cooking and heating, brick kilns operating in the dry season, post-harvest agricultural burning from surrounding rice fields, and vehicular exhaust on congested roads. Dense winter fog traps these emissions close to ground level, causing severe air quality episodes.

Air Quality in Nearby Cities