Ongole Air Quality Index (AQI) & Air Pollution Today

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

Ongole AQI Right Now

117

Category: Moderate

Dominant Pollutant: pm25

PM2.5: 64.95 µg/m³

PM10: 64.95 µg/m³

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

Ongole Pollutant Levels

PollutantConcentration
PM2.564.95 µg/m³
PM1064.95 µg/m³
O₃ (Ozone)17.33 µg/m³
NO₂5.48 µg/m³
SO₂3.44 µg/m³
CO285.23 µg/m³

Health Advisory — Ongole

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

Health Impact — Ongole

Cigarette Equivalent: Breathing this air is equivalent to smoking 3 cigarettes per day (based on current PM2.5 levels).

Life Expectancy Impact: Sustained exposure at this PM2.5 level could reduce life expectancy by 0.36 years (AQLI estimate, relative to WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³).

Health Recommendations for Ongole

  • 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 Ongole Air Quality

Ongole, the headquarters of Prakasam district and home to the world-famous Ongole cattle breed, sits on the coastal Andhra Pradesh plain approximately 20 km inland from the Bay of Bengal. The city's air quality is shaped by two distinctive local industries: tobacco processing and granite quarrying. Prakasam district is a significant tobacco-growing region, and the flue-curing barns scattered across the surrounding countryside burn wood and coal to heat-dry tobacco leaves from January through April, releasing PM2.5, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds into the ambient air.

The December–March dry season brings peak pollution as temperature inversions trap emissions from tobacco curing, granite quarrying operations in the surrounding hills, vehicle exhaust on the busy NH-16 corridor, and road dust from the expanding but partly unpaved urban area. PM2.5 levels during this period typically remain in the Moderate range (50–80 µg/m³), aided by the town's relative proximity to the coast. Granite quarrying and polishing units - a significant local industry - generate coarse particulate dust that affects nearby residential areas and workers.

Ongole benefits from its coastal proximity, with sea breezes reaching the city during most afternoons and providing useful atmospheric ventilation. The monsoon seasons (southwest June–September and northeast October–December) deliver approximately 800 mm of annual rainfall, providing effective atmospheric cleansing. Post-cyclone atmospheric flushing occasionally brings brief periods of exceptionally clean air. The city's moderate population and lack of major heavy industry keep its overall air quality better than larger inland AP cities, though granite dust and tobacco-season emissions create localised air quality concerns.

Primary Pollution Sources

  • Vehicle exhaust
  • Road dust
  • Tobacco curing emissions
  • Granite quarrying dust
  • Construction dust
  • Waste burning

Geography: Prakasam district headquarters on the coastal AP plain; tobacco processing centre, granite quarrying belt, NH-16 highway town, Bay of Bengal influence

Peak pollution months: December, January, February, March

Frequently Asked Questions — Ongole

How do tobacco curing and granite quarrying affect Ongole's air?

Tobacco curing barns in Prakasam district burn wood and coal to dry tobacco leaves (January–April), releasing PM2.5 and VOCs. Granite quarrying and polishing operations generate coarse mineral dust year-round, particularly affecting areas near quarry sites. Together, these industries create Ongole's distinctive seasonal pollution pattern.

What is the cleanest air quality month in Ongole?

August is typically the cleanest month in Ongole, with AQI in the Good range. The southwest monsoon brings steady rainfall and strong winds that suppress dust, wash out particulates, and halt tobacco curing operations. Sea breezes also remain strong during monsoon months.

Air Quality in Nearby Cities