Kalaburagi (Gulbarga) Air Quality Index (AQI) & Air Pollution Today

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

Kalaburagi AQI Right Now

70

Category: Satisfactory

Dominant Pollutant: pm10

PM2.5: 19.92 µg/m³

PM10: 69.37 µg/m³

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

Kalaburagi Pollutant Levels

PollutantConcentration
PM2.519.92 µg/m³
PM1069.37 µg/m³
O₃ (Ozone)8.15 µg/m³
NO₂12.99 µg/m³
SO₂0.92 µg/m³
CO646.11 µg/m³

Health Advisory — Kalaburagi

Satisfactory: Minor breathing discomfort to sensitive people.

Health Impact — Kalaburagi

Cigarette Equivalent: Breathing this air is equivalent to smoking 0.9 cigarettes per day (based on current PM2.5 levels).

Life Expectancy Impact: Sustained exposure at this PM2.5 level could reduce life expectancy by 0.06 years (AQLI estimate, relative to WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³).

Health Recommendations for Kalaburagi

  • 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 Kalaburagi Air Quality

Kalaburagi (formerly Gulbarga) sits on the flat Deccan Plateau of North Karnataka, one of the state's most arid regions where summer temperatures regularly exceed 45°C and dry conditions persist for eight months of the year. The city is surrounded by a cement manufacturing belt - the limestone-rich terrain of the Bhima River basin has attracted major cement plants whose kiln emissions, limestone dust, and heavy truck traffic contribute to the region's particulate pollution. The relentlessly flat terrain offers no topographic barriers to break wind-driven dust from the surrounding agricultural lands.

Winter and early spring months (November–March) see the poorest air quality as post-harvest agricultural burning in the surrounding toor dal and jowar (sorghum) fields sends smoke plumes across the plateau. Cement plant operations run year-round, and the truck corridors connecting Kalaburagi's cement belt to markets across South India generate diesel exhaust and road dust. Domestic waste burning, common in areas without adequate municipal collection, adds organic aerosols and toxic fumes to the mix.

The historic Gulbarga Fort, Khwaja Banda Nawaz Dargah, and the unique Jama Masjid (entirely covered by domes) are cultural landmarks in a city undergoing rapid infrastructure development. Construction activity for the new AIIMS hospital, railway expansion, and highway projects generates significant dust. The Bhima River to the south provides limited moisture during monsoon months (June–September), when heavy rainfall dramatically improves air quality to Good levels. North Karnataka's development gap compared to Bengaluru means less stringent emission enforcement here.

Primary Pollution Sources

  • Vehicle exhaust
  • Road dust
  • Cement industry emissions
  • Construction dust
  • Agricultural burning
  • Waste burning

Geography: North Karnataka Deccan Plateau; semi-arid climate, cement manufacturing belt, flat terrain

Peak pollution months: November, December, January, February, March

Frequently Asked Questions — Kalaburagi

How does the cement industry affect Kalaburagi's air quality?

Kalaburagi sits in a limestone-rich belt with multiple cement manufacturing plants in the surrounding districts. These plants emit particulate matter from kiln operations, and limestone quarrying generates mineral dust. Heavy truck traffic transporting cement and raw materials adds diesel exhaust and road dust. The flat Deccan Plateau terrain allows these emissions to spread unimpeded across the region, contributing to elevated PM10 levels.

What is the best time for air quality in Kalaburagi?

Kalaburagi experiences its best air quality during the monsoon months (June–September) when heavy southwest monsoon rains wash out particulates and suppress dust. The worst air quality occurs from November through March when post-harvest agricultural burning, cement industry emissions, and dry conditions combine with minimal rainfall to keep PM2.5 and PM10 elevated.

Air Quality in Nearby Cities