Warangal Air Quality Index (AQI) & Air Pollution Today

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

Warangal AQI Right Now

80

Category: Satisfactory

Dominant Pollutant: pm10

PM2.5: 47.24 µg/m³

PM10: 79.56 µg/m³

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

Warangal Pollutant Levels

PollutantConcentration
PM2.547.24 µg/m³
PM1079.56 µg/m³
O₃ (Ozone)17.98 µg/m³
NO₂15.39 µg/m³
SO₂3.28 µg/m³
CO275.2 µg/m³

Health Advisory — Warangal

Satisfactory: Minor breathing discomfort to sensitive people.

Health Impact — Warangal

Cigarette Equivalent: Breathing this air is equivalent to smoking 2.1 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 Warangal

  • 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 Warangal Air Quality

Warangal, the historic capital of the Kakatiya dynasty and Telangana's second-largest city, sits on the Deccan Plateau at approximately 300 metres elevation. The region is a major granite quarrying belt - massive stone extraction operations in nearby Karimnagar, Mahabubabad, and the outskirts of Warangal itself generate substantial PM10 from blasting, cutting, and transportation of dimensional stone. This mineral dust combines with typical urban emissions to create Warangal's distinctive air quality signature.

Winter months (November–February) produce the worst air quality as the semi-arid Deccan climate's cool, dry conditions reduce vertical mixing. PM2.5 levels during December and January typically range from 50–90 µg/m³, with the city's rapidly expanding IT corridor development (along the Kazipet–Warangal stretch) adding considerable construction dust. Agricultural burning of crop residues in surrounding cotton-growing districts contributes transboundary smoke during the post-kharif period (October–November), further degrading air quality.

The monsoon season (June–September) delivers 800–1,000 mm of rainfall that provides excellent atmospheric cleansing, bringing AQI to Good or Satisfactory levels. Warangal's moderate elevation and generally open terrain allow reasonable pollutant dispersion compared to valley-trapped cities. The city's rapid urbanisation - driven by IT sector growth, a new metro rail project, and Smart City initiatives - is reshaping its emission profile, with construction dust increasingly rivalling traditional sources like granite quarrying and biomass burning.

Primary Pollution Sources

  • Vehicle exhaust
  • Construction dust
  • Road dust
  • Granite quarrying dust
  • Agricultural burning
  • Waste burning

Geography: Deccan Plateau in Telangana; historic Kakatiya capital, granite quarrying belt, semi-arid climate with moderate rainfall

Peak pollution months: November, December, January, February

Frequently Asked Questions — Warangal

What is the most polluted month in Warangal?

December and January are typically the most polluted months, with AQI readings in the Moderate to Poor range (NAQI 100–200). The post-monsoon dry season reduces atmospheric cleansing, and temperature inversions over the Deccan Plateau trap granite quarrying dust, vehicular emissions, and post-harvest agricultural burning smoke.

What causes air pollution in Warangal?

Warangal's air pollution comes from granite quarrying operations (major PM10 source), vehicular exhaust from growing urban traffic, construction dust from IT corridor and Smart City development, agricultural residue burning in surrounding cotton-growing districts, road dust on expanding urban roads, and municipal waste burning. The semi-arid Deccan climate means limited rainfall-based cleansing for 8 months of the year.

Air Quality in Nearby Cities