Bidar Air Quality Index (AQI) & Air Pollution Today

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

Bidar AQI Right Now

67

Category: Satisfactory

Dominant Pollutant: pm10

PM2.5: 28.18 µg/m³

PM10: 66.59 µg/m³

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

Bidar Pollutant Levels

PollutantConcentration
PM2.528.18 µg/m³
PM1066.59 µg/m³
O₃ (Ozone)9.94 µg/m³
NO₂17.02 µg/m³
SO₂2.22 µg/m³
CO246.04 µg/m³

Health Advisory — Bidar

Satisfactory: Minor breathing discomfort to sensitive people.

Health Impact — Bidar

Cigarette Equivalent: Breathing this air is equivalent to smoking 1.3 cigarettes per day (based on current PM2.5 levels).

Life Expectancy Impact: Sustained exposure at this PM2.5 level could reduce life expectancy by 0.12 years (AQLI estimate, relative to WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³).

Health Recommendations for Bidar

  • 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 Bidar Air Quality

Bidar, Karnataka's northernmost city, perches on the Deccan Plateau at approximately 700 metres elevation near the trijunction of Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Telangana. The historic Bidar Fort — seat of the Bahmani Sultanate — crowns the city's skyline, while the surrounding agricultural hinterland produces pulses, oilseeds, and sugarcane. The semi-arid climate, with annual rainfall around 800mm, means dry and dusty conditions prevail for much of the year, and the flat plateau terrain offers little topographic help in dispersing pollutants.

Winter months (November–February) see the worst air quality as post-harvest agricultural burning in the surrounding fields coincides with calm atmospheric conditions and temperature inversions over the plateau. Particulates from dal processing mills — Bidar district is a major toor dal producer — and domestic waste burning add to the winter pollution load. Vehicular exhaust from the national highway connecting Hyderabad to Pune (via Bidar) brings diesel truck emissions through the city.

The southwest monsoon (June–September) delivers reliable rainfall that dramatically improves air quality to Good levels, greening the surrounding landscape and suppressing dust. Bidar's moderate elevation and plateau position provide decent natural ventilation when winds are active, keeping pollution levels generally below those of comparable cities in the flat Indo-Gangetic Plain. However, growing urbanisation and infrastructure development are gradually adding new pollution sources to this historically quiet garrison and university town.

Primary Pollution Sources

  • Vehicle exhaust
  • Road dust
  • Construction dust
  • Agricultural burning
  • Waste burning
  • Cement and dal mill emissions

Geography: Northernmost district of Karnataka bordering Maharashtra and Telangana; Deccan Plateau at ~700m, semi-arid with historic Bahmani fort

Peak pollution months: November, December, January, February

Frequently Asked Questions — Bidar

What causes air pollution in Bidar?

Bidar's pollution comes primarily from agricultural burning during the post-harvest season, vehicular exhaust from national highway traffic, road dust from the semi-arid plateau terrain, dal processing mill emissions, and domestic waste burning. The flat Deccan Plateau geography and low annual rainfall (around 800mm) limit natural dust suppression for most of the year.

How does Bidar's air quality compare to other Karnataka cities?

Bidar's air quality is moderate by Karnataka standards — better than industrial cities like Ballari or Kalaburagi but not as clean as well-watered cities like Mangalore or Shivamogga. Its moderate elevation (~700m) and decent monsoon rainfall provide some advantages, though the semi-arid climate and agricultural burning keep winter AQI in the Moderate to Poor range on some days.

Air Quality in Nearby Cities