Lucknow Air Quality Index (AQI) & Air Pollution Today

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

Lucknow AQI Right Now

173

Category: Moderate

Dominant Pollutant: pm25

PM2.5: 81.82 µg/m³

PM10: 125.64 µg/m³

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

Lucknow Pollutant Levels

PollutantConcentration
PM2.581.82 µg/m³
PM10125.64 µg/m³
O₃ (Ozone)19.46 µg/m³
NO₂22.83 µg/m³
SO₂2.92 µg/m³
CO1202.58 µg/m³

Health Advisory — Lucknow

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

Recommendation: Sensitive groups (children, elderly, people with respiratory conditions) should limit outdoor exposure.

Health Impact — Lucknow

Cigarette Equivalent: Breathing this air is equivalent to smoking 3.7 cigarettes per day (based on current PM2.5 levels).

Life Expectancy Impact: Sustained exposure at this PM2.5 level could reduce life expectancy by 0.47 years (AQLI estimate, relative to WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³).

Health Recommendations for Lucknow

  • 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 Lucknow Air Quality

Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh and a major administrative and cultural centre, sits in the heart of the Indo-Gangetic Plain along the Gomti River. Like other plains cities, it experiences severe winter air quality deterioration driven by temperature inversions, low wind speeds, and a convergence of emission sources that make October through January consistently hazardous for residents.

PM2.5 concentrations during November and December regularly exceed 200 µg/m³, with morning hours being worst as overnight inversions trap the previous day's emissions close to ground level. The city's rapid urbanisation - driven by IT corridor development, metro construction, and ring road expansion - generates enormous construction dust. Lucknow's vehicle fleet has crossed 4 million registrations, and traffic congestion on arterial roads like Hazratganj, Aminabad, and Faizabad Road produces sustained pollution hotspots.

Residential biomass and coal combustion in older neighbourhoods, open waste burning, and small-scale industrial units along the Kanpur Road corridor add to the mix. Agricultural stubble burning in surrounding districts of Sitapur, Hardoi, and Barabanki contributes seasonal smoke during October–November. The UP government has implemented construction dust norms and pushed CNG conversion, but enforcement gaps persist. The monsoon (July–September) brings significant relief, with PM2.5 dropping to 30–60 µg/m³.

Primary Pollution Sources

  • Vehicle exhaust
  • Construction dust
  • Waste burning
  • Industrial emissions
  • Road dust
  • Biomass combustion (residential)

Geography: Indo-Gangetic Plain on the banks of the Gomti River; flat terrain with severe winter inversions, rapidly growing urban sprawl

Peak pollution months: October, November, December, January

Frequently Asked Questions — Lucknow

What is the most polluted month in Lucknow?

November is typically the worst month, with daily average NAQI frequently reaching Very Poor to Severe levels (300–450). PM2.5 concentrations exceed 200 µg/m³ for extended periods as stubble burning smoke, festival emissions, and winter inversions combine.

What causes air pollution in Lucknow?

Lucknow's pollution stems from vehicular exhaust (4+ million vehicles), construction dust from metro and infrastructure projects, residential biomass burning, waste burning, industrial emissions along the Kanpur Road corridor, and seasonal stubble burning from surrounding agricultural districts. Winter inversions on the flat Indo-Gangetic Plain trap all these emissions.

Air Quality in Nearby Cities