Karnal Air Quality Index (AQI) & Air Pollution Today

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

Karnal AQI Right Now

79

Category: Satisfactory

Dominant Pollutant: pm25

PM2.5: 47.17 µg/m³

PM10: 75.44 µg/m³

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

Karnal Pollutant Levels

PollutantConcentration
PM2.547.17 µg/m³
PM1075.44 µg/m³
O₃ (Ozone)19.55 µg/m³
NO₂12.34 µg/m³
SO₂2.23 µg/m³
CO210.81 µg/m³

Health Advisory — Karnal

Satisfactory: Minor breathing discomfort to sensitive people.

Health Impact — Karnal

Cigarette Equivalent: Breathing this air is equivalent to smoking 2.1 cigarettes per day (based on current PM2.5 levels).

Life Expectancy Impact: Sustained exposure at this PM2.5 level could reduce life expectancy by 0.24 years (AQLI estimate, relative to WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³).

Health Recommendations for Karnal

  • 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 Karnal Air Quality

Karnal, often called the Rice Bowl of Haryana, sits on the Grand Trunk Road (NH-44) in the fertile Indo-Gangetic Plain. Home to the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) and surrounded by some of India’s most intensive rice-wheat cropland, the city’s air quality is deeply tied to the agricultural calendar. Dozens of rice mills and grain processing units in and around the city generate persistent particulate emissions during the post-harvest season from October through December.

The October–January period brings devastating air quality as paddy stubble burning blankets the region. Karnal district itself is among Haryana’s top contributors to crop residue fires, and smoke from neighbouring Kaithal, Kurukshetra, and districts in Punjab converges over the city. PM2.5 concentrations routinely exceed 200 µg/m³ during peak burning weeks, with winter temperature inversions trapping pollutants close to the ground for days at a stretch. Brick kilns on the city’s outskirts and heavy freight traffic on NH-44 add to the emission load.

Monsoon months (July–September) bring the cleanest air as rainfall scrubs particulates and winds shift. Pre-monsoon summer (April–June) sees moderate air quality with occasional dust storms from Rajasthan. Karnal’s long-term air quality outlook hinges on the transition away from stubble burning and the modernisation of its rice processing infrastructure.

Primary Pollution Sources

  • Vehicle exhaust
  • Crop residue burning
  • Rice mill emissions
  • Brick kilns
  • Road dust
  • Construction dust

Geography: On the GT Road (NH-44) in the heart of Haryana's rice belt; flat Indo-Gangetic Plain, major agricultural processing and dairy research centre

Peak pollution months: October, November, December, January

Frequently Asked Questions — Karnal

What causes air pollution in Karnal?

Karnal’s pollution is driven primarily by massive paddy stubble burning in the surrounding rice belt during October–November, emissions from rice mills and grain processing units, brick kilns on the city outskirts, and heavy vehicular traffic on NH-44 (the historic Grand Trunk Road). Winter temperature inversions on the flat Indo-Gangetic Plain trap these emissions, causing prolonged smog episodes.

When is air quality worst in Karnal?

Air quality is worst from late October through January. Peak stubble burning in October–November sends PM2.5 above 200–300 µg/m³, and winter inversions in December–January keep pollution trapped near the surface. The AQI frequently enters the Very Poor to Severe category during this window.

Air Quality in Nearby Cities