Latur Air Quality Index (AQI) & Air Pollution Today

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

Latur AQI Right Now

99

Category: Satisfactory

Dominant Pollutant: pm10

PM2.5: 58.61 µg/m³

PM10: 98.9 µg/m³

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

Latur Pollutant Levels

PollutantConcentration
PM2.558.61 µg/m³
PM1098.9 µg/m³
O₃ (Ozone)17.97 µg/m³
NO₂17.45 µg/m³
SO₂1.58 µg/m³
CO375.56 µg/m³

Health Advisory — Latur

Satisfactory: Minor breathing discomfort to sensitive people.

Health Impact — Latur

Cigarette Equivalent: Breathing this air is equivalent to smoking 2.7 cigarettes per day (based on current PM2.5 levels).

Life Expectancy Impact: Sustained exposure at this PM2.5 level could reduce life expectancy by 0.32 years (AQLI estimate, relative to WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³).

Health Recommendations for Latur

  • 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 Latur Air Quality

Latur, a city in the drought-prone Marathwada region of the Deccan Plateau, faces a uniquely dry pollution challenge. Extreme water scarcity - Latur made national headlines in 2016 when water had to be transported by rail - means there is virtually no wet deposition to cleanse the atmosphere for months at a stretch. Road dust from unpaved surfaces and construction activity remains suspended in the dry air far longer than in better-watered cities, making PM10 a persistent concern.

The sugar industry corridor running through the district adds seasonal emissions during the crushing season (November–April), with bagasse burning and factory effluent contributing to local SO2 and particulate levels. The devastating 1993 Latur earthquake led to extensive reconstruction in subsequent decades, and ongoing infrastructure development continues to generate construction dust across the city. Winter temperature inversions over the plateau (November–February) trap these emissions, creating the peak pollution period.

Monsoon months (June–September) bring the only reliable atmospheric cleansing, though Marathwada's rainfall is erratic and significantly lower (600–750mm) than western Maharashtra. Post-monsoon sugarcane harvesting and burning residue mark the transition back to poorer air quality. The moderate elevation (~630m) provides slightly better atmospheric mixing than the flat Gangetic plains, keeping Latur's worst readings below north Indian levels.

Primary Pollution Sources

  • Vehicle exhaust
  • Road dust
  • Sugar mill emissions
  • Construction dust
  • Agricultural burning
  • Waste burning

Geography: Marathwada region on Deccan Plateau; semi-arid, drought-prone, sugar-producing belt, moderate elevation (~630m)

Peak pollution months: November, December, January, February

Frequently Asked Questions — Latur

How does drought affect Latur's air quality?

Latur's chronic water scarcity means minimal wet deposition - rain that would normally wash particulates from the atmosphere. Dry, unpaved surfaces generate persistent road dust, and the semi-arid climate keeps PM10 elevated for months. Without regular rainfall, pollutants accumulate in the atmosphere much longer than in well-watered regions.

What industrial sources affect air quality in Latur?

Sugar mills in the Latur district operate during the November–April crushing season, burning bagasse and generating particulate emissions. Infrastructure construction - still ongoing decades after the 1993 earthquake - adds dust. Vehicle exhaust from national highway traffic and agricultural waste burning from surrounding farmlands complete the mix.

Air Quality in Nearby Cities