East Champaran (Motihari) Air Quality Index (AQI) & Air Pollution Today

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

East Champaran AQI Right Now

119

Category: Moderate

Dominant Pollutant: pm25

PM2.5: 65.39 µg/m³

PM10: 123.87 µg/m³

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

East Champaran Pollutant Levels

PollutantConcentration
PM2.565.39 µg/m³
PM10123.87 µg/m³
O₃ (Ozone)1.35 µg/m³
NO₂11.37 µg/m³
SO₂0.87 µg/m³
CO907.34 µg/m³

Health Advisory — East Champaran

Moderate: Breathing discomfort to people with lungs, asthma and heart diseases.

Health Impact — East Champaran

Cigarette Equivalent: Breathing this air is equivalent to smoking 3 cigarettes per day (based on current PM2.5 levels).

Life Expectancy Impact: Sustained exposure at this PM2.5 level could reduce life expectancy by 0.36 years (AQLI estimate, relative to WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³).

Health Recommendations for East Champaran

  • General Population: People with respiratory or heart conditions should limit prolonged outdoor exertion.
  • Elderly: Reduce prolonged outdoor activities.
  • Children: Reduce prolonged outdoor play.
  • Lung Disease Patients: Avoid prolonged outdoor exertion.

Understanding East Champaran Air Quality

East Champaran holds a sacred place in Indian nationalist history - Motihari, its district headquarters, was where Mahatma Gandhi launched his first satyagraha campaign in 1917, challenging the indigo cultivation system in the Champaran region. Today, the sugarcane fields that replaced indigo define both the district's economy and its air quality. East Champaran's position at the base of the Himalayan footprint zone, where the Terai transitions into the Gangetic Plain, creates a distinctive pollution dynamic shaped by the Nepal border geography and the regional agriculture.

During winter (November–February), East Champaran's air quality deteriorates significantly under the influence of temperature inversions, agricultural burning from the paddy harvest, and the seasonal activation of brick kilns across the flat terrain. Sugarcane crushing mills, which operate from October to April, emit combustion gases and particulate matter that add to the industrial baseline. The district's northern border with Nepal and partial coverage of Lower Indo-Gangetic fog belt means dense winter fog sits over Motihari during the worst episodes, concentrating pollutants from crop burning and biomass fuel use by the large rural population.

The transition period from monsoon to winter (September–October) involves intensive paddy harvesting with associated burning, marking the beginning of the pollution season. The southwest monsoon (June–September), bringing 1,200–1,500 mm from the Nepal-adjacent foothills, delivers the year's cleanest air. East Champaran benefits slightly from its elevated position relative to the mid-Gangetic Plain - winter fog is somewhat less persistent than further south - but the density of agricultural burning and poor rural energy access keeps air quality challenging throughout the dry season.

Primary Pollution Sources

  • Sugarcane mill emissions
  • Agricultural burning
  • Brick kilns
  • Biomass burning
  • Vehicle exhaust
  • Road dust

Geography: North Bihar district bordering Nepal at the Himalayan foothills base; Motihari is the HQ; Gandhi's 1917 Champaran Satyagraha site; sugarcane and paddy farming

Peak pollution months: November, December, January, February

Frequently Asked Questions — East Champaran

What is the biggest pollution source in East Champaran?

Agricultural burning from paddy stubble after the kharif harvest (October–November) is the largest single pollution event, but sugarcane mill operations contribute consistently from October to April. Brick kilns are the second major source during the dry season, concentrated along flat terains near Motihari. Together, these seasonal sources plus year-round biomass burning for domestic fuel drive East Champaran's high winter PM2.5 readings.

Does the Nepal border affect East Champaran's air quality?

The Nepal border creates a mixed effect. Northwest winds from Nepal's Terai region during winter can carry agricultural burning smoke from Nepal's harvest season (similar timing to Bihar's) across the border, compounding local emissions. However, East Champaran's slightly elevated position relative to the deeper Gangetic Plain means winter temperature inversions, while present, are sometimes less severe than in districts further south. The dense southern Nepal/north Bihar farming belt is a major shared airshed.

Air Quality in Nearby Cities