Leh Air Quality Index (AQI) & Air Pollution Today

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

Leh AQI Right Now

18

Category: Good

Dominant Pollutant: pm10

PM2.5: 9.84 µg/m³

PM10: 17.89 µg/m³

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

Leh Pollutant Levels

PollutantConcentration
PM2.59.84 µg/m³
PM1017.89 µg/m³
O₃ (Ozone)73.55 µg/m³
NO₂6.23 µg/m³
SO₂0.04 µg/m³
CO131.52 µg/m³

Health Advisory — Leh

Good: Minimal impact on health. Great day to be outdoors!

Health Impact — Leh

Cigarette Equivalent: Breathing this air is equivalent to smoking 0.4 cigarettes per day (based on current PM2.5 levels).

Health Recommendations for Leh

  • General Population: Air quality is satisfactory. Enjoy outdoor activities.
  • Elderly: No special precautions needed.
  • Children: Great day for outdoor play.
  • Lung Disease Patients: No restrictions on outdoor activities.

Understanding Leh Air Quality

Leh, the capital of the Union Territory of Ladakh, sits at approximately 3,500 metres in the Indus River valley surrounded by barren, towering mountains of the trans-Himalayan region. This cold desert receives barely 100 mm of annual rainfall, making it one of the driest inhabited places in India. With a permanent population of around 30,000 that swells significantly during the May–September tourist season, Leh's air quality story is defined by its extreme altitude, harsh winters, and the tension between pristine mountain air and growing anthropogenic pressures.

The winter months from November through February represent Leh's pollution peak, driven primarily by domestic heating needs in a city where temperatures plunge to minus 20 degrees Celsius. Households burn wood, coal, kerosene, and dried dung in traditional bukhari stoves, creating a visible haze that settles in the valley during calm, cold mornings. The narrow Indus valley acts as a channel that can trap this heating smoke, particularly during temperature inversions when cold dense air pools at the valley floor. Diesel generators provide supplementary electricity during the long winters, adding exhaust to the mix. Military vehicle convoys along the Leh–Manali and Leh–Srinagar highways contribute diesel particulates throughout the year.

The summer tourist season (May–September) brings a different pollution dynamic: the city's roads, originally designed for a small desert town, now carry thousands of tourist vehicles, motorcycles, and tour buses. Airport operations increase dramatically with multiple daily flights. However, summer's warmer temperatures promote better vertical mixing, and occasional monsoon-fringe rain showers help wash the air. The shoulder months of March–April and October see good air quality as heating demand wanes and tourist traffic has not yet peaked (or has subsided). Leh's primary long-term concern is balancing tourism growth and military logistics with the preservation of the pristine high-altitude air that visitors come to experience.

Primary Pollution Sources

  • Vehicle exhaust (tourism and military convoys)
  • Domestic heating (wood, coal, kerosene, dung)
  • Diesel generator exhaust
  • Road dust
  • Construction dust

Geography: Capital of Ladakh UT at ~3,500m elevation in the trans-Himalayan region; cold desert climate with extremely low rainfall (~100mm annually), surrounded by barren mountains and the Indus River valley

Peak pollution months: November, December, January, February

Frequently Asked Questions — Leh

What is the air quality like in Leh?

Leh has generally good air quality during summer months (May–September), with crisp high-altitude air. However, winter air quality (November–February) deteriorates noticeably due to domestic heating emissions from wood, coal, and kerosene stoves in the extreme cold. The narrow Indus valley traps heating smoke during calm winter mornings, creating localised haze despite the absence of industrial pollution.

What causes air pollution in Leh, Ladakh?

Leh's pollution sources include domestic heating fuels (wood, coal, kerosene, dung) burned in traditional stoves during harsh winters, diesel generator exhaust, military and tourist vehicle emissions, road dust from unpaved surfaces, and construction dust from growing tourism infrastructure. Winter temperature inversions in the narrow Indus valley can trap these emissions, creating temporary haze episodes.

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