Bhiwandi Air Quality Index (AQI) & Air Pollution Today

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

Bhiwandi AQI Right Now

131

Category: Moderate

Dominant Pollutant: pm10

PM2.5: 47.65 µg/m³

PM10: 145.59 µg/m³

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

Bhiwandi Pollutant Levels

PollutantConcentration
PM2.547.65 µg/m³
PM10145.59 µg/m³
O₃ (Ozone)22.1 µg/m³
NO₂21.31 µg/m³
SO₂6.26 µg/m³
CO460.88 µg/m³

Health Advisory — Bhiwandi

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

Health Impact — Bhiwandi

Cigarette Equivalent: Breathing this air is equivalent to smoking 2.2 cigarettes per day (based on current PM2.5 levels).

Life Expectancy Impact: Sustained exposure at this PM2.5 level could reduce life expectancy by 0.24 years (AQLI estimate, relative to WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³).

Health Recommendations for Bhiwandi

  • 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 Bhiwandi Air Quality

Bhiwandi, India's undisputed power loom capital with over 500,000 looms operating across the city, presents a unique air quality profile dominated by textile fibre dust - a pollution source rarely seen at this scale in any other Indian city. The relentless clatter of looms in dense workshop clusters across Anjur Phata, Kalyan Road, and the old city releases microscopic cotton and synthetic fibre particles into the air, creating a persistent indoor-outdoor particulate load that defines Bhiwandi's occupational and ambient air quality challenge.

In recent years, Bhiwandi has also emerged as India's largest warehousing and logistics hub, with massive distribution centres for e-commerce giants lining the Mumbai–Nashik highway (NH-3). This transformation has brought a new pollution source: thousands of heavy-duty trucks arriving and departing daily, idling at loading docks, and churning up road dust on service roads. The combination of textile fibre dust and diesel truck emissions gives Bhiwandi an unusual dual pollution character within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

Winter months (November–February) see the worst air quality, with PM2.5 levels reaching 100–160 µg/m³ during December and January under temperature inversion conditions. Unlike coastal Mumbai, Bhiwandi sits inland without direct sea breeze benefit, so pollutant dispersion is poorer. Open waste burning in unplanned settlement areas and construction dust from rapid warehouse development add to the winter pollution mix. Monsoon months bring significant improvement, with rainfall suppressing both textile dust and road particulates. Bhiwandi's air quality, while concerning, remains generally better than Gangetic Plain cities due to its relatively lower latitude and maritime-influenced climate.

Primary Pollution Sources

  • Power loom dust (textile fibres)
  • Vehicle exhaust
  • Warehouse and logistics truck emissions
  • Road dust
  • Construction dust
  • Waste burning

Geography: Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR); major textile power loom centre and logistics warehouse hub, flat terrain along the Mumbai–Nashik highway corridor

Peak pollution months: November, December, January, February

Frequently Asked Questions — Bhiwandi

What are the health risks of textile fibre dust in Bhiwandi?

Textile fibre dust - comprising fine cotton lint, synthetic polymer fibres, and chemical finishing agents - is a recognised cause of byssinosis ("brown lung disease"), chronic bronchitis, and occupational asthma. In Bhiwandi, where over 500,000 power looms operate in dense clusters often without adequate ventilation, workers and nearby residents face elevated risks. Studies have shown that PM10 concentrations inside power loom workshops can exceed 500 µg/m³, far above occupational safety limits.

How does the logistics hub affect Bhiwandi's air quality?

Bhiwandi's emergence as India's largest warehousing hub has brought thousands of heavy-duty diesel trucks into the city daily. These vehicles generate exhaust emissions (PM2.5, NOx, black carbon), road dust from service roads, and idling emissions at loading docks. The logistics traffic is concentrated along the Mumbai–Nashik highway corridor, creating a linear pollution zone that affects residential areas along the route.

Air Quality in Nearby Cities