Kanpur Air Quality Index (AQI) & Air Pollution Today

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

Kanpur AQI Right Now

82

Category: Satisfactory

Dominant Pollutant: pm10

PM2.5: 43.56 µg/m³

PM10: 81.44 µg/m³

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

Kanpur Pollutant Levels

PollutantConcentration
PM2.543.56 µg/m³
PM1081.44 µg/m³
O₃ (Ozone)9.61 µg/m³
NO₂26.77 µg/m³
SO₂5.88 µg/m³
CO880.18 µg/m³

Health Advisory — Kanpur

Satisfactory: Minor breathing discomfort to sensitive people.

Health Impact — Kanpur

Cigarette Equivalent: Breathing this air is equivalent to smoking 2 cigarettes per day (based on current PM2.5 levels).

Life Expectancy Impact: Sustained exposure at this PM2.5 level could reduce life expectancy by 0.22 years (AQLI estimate, relative to WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³).

Health Recommendations for Kanpur

  • 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 Kanpur Air Quality

Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh's largest industrial city and India's former "Manchester of the East," faces some of the most severe air quality conditions in the country. Its position on the Ganges in the heart of the Indo-Gangetic Plain subjects it to the same punishing winter inversions as Delhi, but with the added burden of heavy industrial emissions - particularly from its leather tannery cluster, one of the world's largest.

October through January brings consistently hazardous air quality, with PM2.5 regularly exceeding 250 µg/m³ during November and December. Kanpur has ranked among the world's most polluted cities by WHO assessments. The city's 400+ tanneries discharge not only chemical waste into the Ganges but also volatile organic compounds and particulate matter into the air. Coal-fired brick kilns ringing the city contribute significantly to winter PM2.5, while stubble burning smoke from surrounding agricultural districts adds a seasonal overlay.

The combination of old industrial units (many without modern emission controls), a dense vehicle fleet on narrow roads designed for a smaller city, open waste burning in local markets, and residential coal/biomass combustion creates a multi-source pollution cocktail. The UP Pollution Control Board has ordered tanneries to install effluent and emission treatment systems, but compliance remains incomplete. The monsoon (July–September) provides reprieve, though Kanpur's flat terrain means even post-monsoon recovery is slower than hilly or coastal cities.

Primary Pollution Sources

  • Industrial emissions (tanneries, textile mills)
  • Vehicle exhaust
  • Brick kilns
  • Construction dust
  • Waste burning
  • Coal combustion

Geography: Indo-Gangetic Plain on the banks of the Ganges; flat terrain with severe winter inversions, heavy industrial base

Peak pollution months: October, November, December, January

Frequently Asked Questions — Kanpur

Why is Kanpur one of the most polluted cities in India?

Kanpur combines heavy industrial emissions (400+ leather tanneries, textile mills), vehicular exhaust, brick kilns, waste burning, and coal combustion in a flat Indo-Gangetic Plain setting prone to severe winter inversions. The lack of modern emission controls in many older industrial units and the sheer density of pollution sources make it consistently one of India's worst for PM2.5.

What is the most polluted month in Kanpur?

November is typically the worst, with daily average NAQI frequently exceeding 400 (Severe). PM2.5 concentrations can surpass 300 µg/m³ as stubble burning smoke, industrial emissions, and winter inversions combine. December and January remain in the Very Poor to Severe range.

Air Quality in Nearby Cities