Ballia Air Quality Index (AQI) & Air Pollution Today

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

Ballia AQI Right Now

101

Category: Moderate

Dominant Pollutant: pm10

PM2.5: 57.07 µg/m³

PM10: 100.01 µg/m³

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

Ballia Pollutant Levels

PollutantConcentration
PM2.557.07 µg/m³
PM10100.01 µg/m³
O₃ (Ozone)3.46 µg/m³
NO₂11.25 µg/m³
SO₂7.21 µg/m³
CO538.91 µg/m³

Health Advisory — Ballia

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

Health Impact — Ballia

Cigarette Equivalent: Breathing this air is equivalent to smoking 2.6 cigarettes per day (based on current PM2.5 levels).

Life Expectancy Impact: Sustained exposure at this PM2.5 level could reduce life expectancy by 0.31 years (AQLI estimate, relative to WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³).

Health Recommendations for Ballia

  • 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 Ballia Air Quality

Ballia, the headquarters of Ballia district in eastern Uttar Pradesh, reflects the typical air quality pattern of UP's agricultural heartland - relatively clean air for brief post-monsoon and summer periods, bookended by severe winter pollution events.

The city's primary pollution sources - agricultural burning from paddy and wheat fields, seasonal brick kiln operations, biomass fuel combustion for cooking and heating, and vehicular exhaust - are shared with virtually all Indo-Gangetic plain cities. What makes Ballia distinctive within UP is up-bihar border at ganga-saryu confluence; historically called baghi ballia for its revolt culture;. The Ganga and Saryu river confluence provides the topographic context: flat river valley terrain with minimal wind break.

November through February is the worst period: kharif stubble burning (October–November), simultaneous brick kiln activation, increasing biomass burning in cold weather, and the Indo-Gangetic winter inversion create compound PM2.5 readings frequently exceeding 200 µg/m³. Rabi wheat burning (March–May) adds a second agricultural burning event. The monsoon (July–September, 850–1,050 mm) provides the year's cleanest air, with rainfall washing out accumulated particulates and flooding creating a temporary halt to brick kiln and field activities.

Primary Pollution Sources

  • Agricultural burning
  • Biomass burning
  • Brick kilns
  • Vehicle exhaust
  • Road dust
  • River transport diesel

Geography: UP-Bihar border at Ganga-Saryu confluence; historically called Baghi Ballia for its revolt culture; 1942 freedom movement

Peak pollution months: November, December, January, February

Frequently Asked Questions — Ballia

When is air quality worst in Ballia?

Air quality in Ballia is at its worst during November through February, when winter temperature inversions over the Gangetic Plain trap emissions from agricultural burning, biomass 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 Ballia?

Ballia's main pollution sources are: agricultural burning, biomass burning, brick kilns, vehicle exhaust. 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 agriculture activities add a distinctive industrial or agricultural dimension specific to Ballia.

Air Quality in Nearby Cities