Jodhpur Air Quality Index (AQI) & Air Pollution Today

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

Jodhpur AQI Right Now

73

Category: Satisfactory

Dominant Pollutant: pm10

PM2.5: 28.08 µg/m³

PM10: 72.84 µg/m³

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

Jodhpur Pollutant Levels

PollutantConcentration
PM2.528.08 µg/m³
PM1072.84 µg/m³
O₃ (Ozone)30.63 µg/m³
NO₂8.76 µg/m³
SO₂2.53 µg/m³
CO442.12 µg/m³

Health Advisory — Jodhpur

Satisfactory: Minor breathing discomfort to sensitive people.

Health Impact — Jodhpur

Cigarette Equivalent: Breathing this air is equivalent to smoking 1.3 cigarettes per day (based on current PM2.5 levels).

Life Expectancy Impact: Sustained exposure at this PM2.5 level could reduce life expectancy by 0.12 years (AQLI estimate, relative to WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³).

Health Recommendations for Jodhpur

  • 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 Jodhpur Air Quality

Jodhpur, the Sun City of Rajasthan, stands at the edge of the Thar Desert and faces a unique air quality challenge: natural desert dust dominates its PM10 readings for much of the year. Unlike Indo-Gangetic Plain cities where anthropogenic emissions drive pollution, Jodhpur's ambient particulate levels are heavily influenced by aeolian (wind-blown) desert sand particles, particularly during pre-monsoon dust storms from April through June.

Winter months (November–February) bring a different pollution profile. Desert dust subsides as winds calm, but temperature inversions trap vehicular and domestic emissions in the city's low-lying areas. The old walled city (surrounded by the Mehrangarh Fort ridge) is particularly affected due to narrow streets, high vehicle density, and limited air circulation. PM2.5 levels can reach 120–160 µg/m³ during calm winter nights. Stone quarrying and sandstone mining - a major local industry - adds crystalline silica dust to the ambient air, particularly in the city's western and southern periphery.

Jodhpur's extremely low annual rainfall (~360 mm, concentrated in July–August) means there is rarely sufficient wet deposition to clean the atmosphere. The brief monsoon window provides the only sustained period of good air quality. The city's expanding footprint into former desert land and ongoing road construction projects continually generate fresh dust sources.

Primary Pollution Sources

  • Desert dust (Thar Desert proximity)
  • Vehicle exhaust
  • Construction dust
  • Stone quarrying and mining
  • Road dust
  • Domestic biomass burning

Geography: Edge of the Thar Desert at ~230 m elevation; arid climate with frequent dust storms, low rainfall, and extreme temperature variations

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

Frequently Asked Questions — Jodhpur

Why is Jodhpur's PM10 so high even in summer?

Jodhpur's PM10 levels remain elevated in summer due to Thar Desert dust storms (locally called "loo" winds) that carry fine sand particles across the city. Pre-monsoon months (April–June) see frequent dust events that can push PM10 above 400 µg/m³ in a matter of hours, independent of human activity.

Is Jodhpur air pollution different from Delhi's?

Yes - Jodhpur's pollution is predominantly natural desert dust (PM10-heavy, coarser particles) while Delhi's is primarily anthropogenic (PM2.5-heavy, finer combustion particles). Jodhpur's PM2.5-to-PM10 ratio is much lower than Delhi's, meaning the particles are generally larger and less deeply inhalable, though still harmful.

Air Quality in Nearby Cities