Jalgaon Air Quality Index (AQI) & Air Pollution Today

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

Jalgaon AQI Right Now

111

Category: Moderate

Dominant Pollutant: pm10

PM2.5: 51.84 µg/m³

PM10: 115.9 µg/m³

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

Jalgaon Pollutant Levels

PollutantConcentration
PM2.551.84 µg/m³
PM10115.9 µg/m³
O₃ (Ozone)39.21 µg/m³
NO₂10.9 µg/m³
SO₂1.56 µg/m³
CO576.32 µg/m³

Health Advisory — Jalgaon

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

Health Impact — Jalgaon

Cigarette Equivalent: Breathing this air is equivalent to smoking 2.4 cigarettes per day (based on current PM2.5 levels).

Life Expectancy Impact: Sustained exposure at this PM2.5 level could reduce life expectancy by 0.27 years (AQLI estimate, relative to WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³).

Health Recommendations for Jalgaon

  • 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 Jalgaon Air Quality

Jalgaon, the undisputed banana capital of India, sits in the Tapi River basin of the historic Khandesh region in northern Maharashtra. The city produces over 60% of India's banana exports, and the associated processing - ripening chambers using ethylene gas, packaging dust, and transport vehicle emissions - creates a unique agricultural-industrial pollution mix. Simultaneously, Jalgaon has emerged as a major gold and silver refining centre, with hundreds of small refineries melting and purifying precious metals using processes that release metallic fumes and acid vapours.

Winter months (November–February) bring the worst air quality as the semi-arid Khandesh basin experiences temperature inversions. The flat Tapi River floodplain offers minimal topographic relief for dispersion, and PM2.5 levels can exceed the Poor threshold during December and January. Cotton ginning operations - processing the region's significant cotton harvest - release fine lint and cotton dust from October through January, adding to the particulate burden. Post-harvest agricultural burning in surrounding farmlands contributes further smoke during November–December.

The monsoon (June–September) brings moderate rainfall of 600–800mm that provides significant atmospheric cleansing. Pre-monsoon months (March–May) are hot and dusty, with temperatures regularly exceeding 45°C and wind-blown Deccan soil dust elevating PM10. Despite these seasonal challenges, Jalgaon's air quality remains moderate by Indian standards, benefiting from its relatively small industrial base (compared to Maharashtra's western industrial corridor) and the Tapi River's ventilation effect along its valley.

Primary Pollution Sources

  • Vehicle exhaust
  • Road dust
  • Banana processing dust
  • Gold and silver refinement emissions
  • Cotton ginning
  • Agricultural burning

Geography: Tapi River basin in Khandesh region of Maharashtra; India's banana capital, gold refining hub, semi-arid Deccan climate

Peak pollution months: November, December, January, February

Frequently Asked Questions — Jalgaon

How does the banana industry affect Jalgaon's air quality?

Jalgaon's banana industry - the largest in India - contributes to air quality through ethylene gas emissions from thousands of ripening chambers, dust from packaging and sorting operations, and heavy diesel vehicle traffic for banana transport across India. While individual sources are modest, the sheer scale of banana processing across the district creates a distributed pollution load, particularly in market areas like the APMC yard.

Does gold refining cause air pollution in Jalgaon?

Yes - Jalgaon's gold and silver refining industry involves melting precious metals at high temperatures and using acid-based purification processes that release metallic fumes, acid mists, and fine particulates. Most refining units are small-scale operations in congested market areas without adequate emission controls. The industry is concentrated around Nehru Chowk and the jewellers' market, where localised readings can be significantly higher than the city average.

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