Hyderabad Air Quality Index (AQI) & Air Pollution Today

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

Hyderabad AQI Right Now

91

Category: Satisfactory

Dominant Pollutant: pm10

PM2.5: 37.13 µg/m³

PM10: 90.94 µg/m³

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

Hyderabad Pollutant Levels

PollutantConcentration
PM2.537.13 µg/m³
PM1090.94 µg/m³
O₃ (Ozone)9.15 µg/m³
NO₂14.4 µg/m³
SO₂3.93 µg/m³
CO460.82 µg/m³

Health Advisory — Hyderabad

Satisfactory: Minor breathing discomfort to sensitive people.

Health Impact — Hyderabad

Cigarette Equivalent: Breathing this air is equivalent to smoking 1.7 cigarettes per day (based on current PM2.5 levels).

Life Expectancy Impact: Sustained exposure at this PM2.5 level could reduce life expectancy by 0.18 years (AQLI estimate, relative to WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³).

Health Recommendations for Hyderabad

  • 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 Hyderabad Air Quality

Hyderabad, the joint capital of Telangana and a major IT hub, occupies a unique position on the Deccan Plateau at 540 metres elevation. Its semi-arid climate means low rainfall for most of the year, allowing particulate matter to accumulate. The city's rapid expansion - driven by IT corridor development along the ORR (Outer Ring Road) and Gachibowli - has brought massive construction activity and traffic congestion.

The worst air quality occurs during November through February, when dry conditions combine with reduced atmospheric mixing heights. PM2.5 concentrations during winter typically range from 70–120 µg/m³, with the industrial zones of Jeedimetla, Patancheru, and Bollaram contributing significantly to baseline pollution. These areas, home to pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturing units, occasionally release VOCs and SO2 that affect downwind residential areas.

Hyderabad's granite terrain supports extensive stone quarrying in the city's periphery, adding PM10 to ambient air. The monsoon season (June–October) provides the best air quality, with southwest monsoon rains washing out pollutants and AQI typically staying in the Good to Satisfactory range. TSPCB has implemented construction dust control measures and electric bus deployments, though vehicle growth continues to outpace emission controls.

Primary Pollution Sources

  • Vehicle exhaust
  • Construction dust
  • Industrial emissions (Jeedimetla, Patancheru)
  • Road dust
  • Stone quarrying

Geography: Deccan Plateau at ~540 m elevation; semi-arid climate with moderate wind dispersal, granite terrain creates quarrying dust

Peak pollution months: November, December, January, February

Frequently Asked Questions — Hyderabad

When is the best air quality in Hyderabad?

July through October during and after the monsoon season offers the cleanest air, with daily AQI frequently in the Good range (NAQI below 50). The heavy southwest monsoon rains wash out particulates and the moist atmosphere suppresses dust.

What causes air pollution in Hyderabad?

Hyderabad's pollution stems from vehicular exhaust (over 8 million registered vehicles), construction dust from IT corridor and metro expansion, industrial emissions from Jeedimetla-Patancheru chemical and pharma belt, granite quarrying on the city's periphery, and road dust from unpaved stretches in expanding suburban areas.

Air Quality in Nearby Cities