Datia Air Quality Index (AQI) & Air Pollution Today

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

Datia AQI Right Now

74

Category: Satisfactory

Dominant Pollutant: pm10

PM2.5: 27.32 µg/m³

PM10: 73.03 µg/m³

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

Datia Pollutant Levels

PollutantConcentration
PM2.527.32 µg/m³
PM1073.03 µg/m³
O₃ (Ozone)17.38 µg/m³
NO₂6.54 µg/m³
SO₂4.13 µg/m³
CO273.39 µg/m³

Health Advisory — Datia

Satisfactory: Minor breathing discomfort to sensitive people.

Health Impact — Datia

Cigarette Equivalent: Breathing this air is equivalent to smoking 1.2 cigarettes per day (based on current PM2.5 levels).

Life Expectancy Impact: Sustained exposure at this PM2.5 level could reduce life expectancy by 0.11 years (AQLI estimate, relative to WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³).

Health Recommendations for Datia

  • 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 Datia Air Quality

Datia, a small historic town in northern Madhya Pradesh best known for the magnificent seven-storeyed Datia Palace (Bir Singh Deo Palace), sits on the semi-arid Bundelkhand-Gwalior plateau approximately 75 kilometres from Gwalior. The town's economy revolves around agriculture and small-scale trade, with limited industrial activity. Datia's air quality challenges stem primarily from its semi-arid geography - sparse vegetation, dry rocky terrain, and low annual rainfall (800 mm) mean wind-blown dust and agricultural residue burning dominate the pollution profile.

The extended dry season from October through June keeps road dust and soil particulates chronically elevated. Winter months (October–February) bring the worst conditions as temperature inversions trap dust, crop-residue smoke from surrounding mustard and wheat fields, and emissions from widespread domestic biomass burning. Being in the northern MP belt close to the Uttar Pradesh border, Datia experiences the same Indo-Gangetic fringe meteorology that afflicts cities like Gwalior - cold, still winter nights with negligible ventilation. PM10 from dust sources can reach 140–180 µg/m³ during peak episodes, though the town's small size limits vehicular contributions.

The monsoon (July–September) provides substantial atmospheric cleansing, with rainfall suppressing dust and reviving vegetation cover across the otherwise barren Bundelkhand landscape. However, Bundelkhand's chronically rainfall-deficient character means monsoon relief can be inconsistent from year to year. Datia's limited urbanisation and absence of factories keep its pollution well below that of nearby Gwalior, but the regional semi-arid dust problem is a persistent baseline concern.

Primary Pollution Sources

  • Road dust
  • Vehicle exhaust
  • Agricultural burning
  • Domestic biomass burning
  • Construction dust

Geography: Northern Madhya Pradesh near Gwalior on the Bundelkhand-Gwalior plateau; small historic town known for the seven-storeyed Datia Palace, semi-arid terrain

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

Frequently Asked Questions — Datia

What are the main air quality concerns in Datia?

Datia's primary air quality issue is wind-blown dust from the semi-arid Bundelkhand terrain, compounded by road dust from unpaved surfaces and agricultural stubble burning after harvest seasons. The small town lacks significant industrial pollution, but the dry, sparsely vegetated landscape generates persistent PM10 for eight to nine months of the year. Domestic biomass burning for cooking adds to PM2.5 levels, particularly in winter.

How does Datia's air quality compare to nearby Gwalior?

Datia generally has lower overall pollution than Gwalior due to its much smaller population, minimal industrial activity, and far less vehicular traffic. However, both cities share the same semi-arid Bundelkhand climate and winter inversion patterns, so dust-related PM10 levels can be comparable. Gwalior's industrial and vehicular emissions make its PM2.5 significantly worse.

Air Quality in Nearby Cities