Sitapur Air Quality Index (AQI) & Air Pollution Today

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

Sitapur AQI Right Now

122

Category: Moderate

Dominant Pollutant: pm25

PM2.5: 66.46 µg/m³

PM10: 87.95 µg/m³

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

Sitapur Pollutant Levels

PollutantConcentration
PM2.566.46 µg/m³
PM1087.95 µg/m³
O₃ (Ozone)15.88 µg/m³
NO₂19.06 µg/m³
SO₂4.95 µg/m³
CO571.22 µg/m³

Health Advisory — Sitapur

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

Health Impact — Sitapur

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 0.37 years (AQLI estimate, relative to WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³).

Health Recommendations for Sitapur

  • 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 Sitapur Air Quality

Sitapur, in Sitapur district, is embedded in Uttar Pradesh's sugarcane belt - one of the most agriculturally intensive regions in India and a major driver of seasonal air quality cycles.

The air quality calendar in Sitapur follows the sugarcane agricultural cycle precisely. The crushing season (October–April) brings sustained emissions from sugar mill stacks, while bagasse burning provides thermal energy but adds to ambient PM. Simultaneously, paddy field burning from the kharif harvest (October–November) and wheat stubble burning after the rabi crop (April–May) create two agricultural burning peaks annually. The Sarayan River (Saryu tributary) basin's flat terrain ensures minimal natural dispersion.

Winter months (November–February) combine all sources simultaneously: sugar mill operations, agricultural burning, widespread biomass cooking fuel, and brick kiln activity under temperature inversions that are among the most severe in the Indo-Gangetic Plain. PM2.5 readings of 150–250 µg/m³ are not uncommon during peak episodes. The monsoon (July–September) provides the year's cleanest air as rainfall suppresses all dust and temporarily interrupts agricultural burning cycles.

Primary Pollution Sources

  • Sugarcane mill emissions
  • Agricultural burning
  • Biomass burning
  • Brick kilns
  • Vehicle exhaust
  • Road dust

Geography: central UP sugar belt; Nimsar pilgrimage on Sarayan River; traditional mat weaving; Dudhwa buffer zone proximity

Peak pollution months: November, December, January, February

Frequently Asked Questions — Sitapur

When is air quality worst in Sitapur?

Air quality in Sitapur is at its worst during November through February, when winter temperature inversions over the Gangetic Plain trap emissions from sugarcane mill emissions, agricultural burning, and biomass burning near the surface. The combination of post-kharif agricultural burning (October–November), brick kiln activation, and cold inversion episodes creates PM2.5 readings that frequently exceed 150 µg/m³ and sometimes approach 300 µg/m³ during the most severe episodes.

What are the main air pollution sources in Sitapur?

Sitapur's main pollution sources are: sugarcane mill emissions, agricultural burning, biomass burning, brick kilns. Like most Uttar Pradesh cities, the seasonal pattern is defined by agricultural burning cycles (kharif in October–November, rabi in April–May), year-round brick kiln operations during the dry season (October–April), and persistent biomass burning for domestic energy. The sugar mills activities add a distinctive industrial or agricultural dimension specific to Sitapur.

Air Quality in Nearby Cities