Maharajganj Air Quality Index (AQI) & Air Pollution Today

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

Maharajganj AQI Right Now

119

Category: Moderate

Dominant Pollutant: pm10

PM2.5: 54.46 µg/m³

PM10: 127.43 µg/m³

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

Maharajganj Pollutant Levels

PollutantConcentration
PM2.554.46 µg/m³
PM10127.43 µg/m³
O₃ (Ozone)2.99 µg/m³
NO₂5.73 µg/m³
SO₂12.5 µg/m³
CO192.79 µg/m³

Health Advisory — Maharajganj

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

Health Impact — Maharajganj

Cigarette Equivalent: Breathing this air is equivalent to smoking 2.5 cigarettes per day (based on current PM2.5 levels).

Life Expectancy Impact: Sustained exposure at this PM2.5 level could reduce life expectancy by 0.29 years (AQLI estimate, relative to WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³).

Health Recommendations for Maharajganj

  • 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 Maharajganj Air Quality

Maharajganj, in Maharajganj 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 Maharajganj 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 Gandak River tributaries 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

  • Agricultural burning
  • Biomass burning
  • Brick kilns
  • Vehicle exhaust
  • Road dust
  • Border trade traffic

Geography: Nepal border district; Sonauli border crossing proximity; paddy and sugarcane farming; trans-boundary smoke from Nepal harvest

Peak pollution months: November, December, January, February

Frequently Asked Questions — Maharajganj

When is air quality worst in Maharajganj?

Air quality in Maharajganj 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 Maharajganj?

Maharajganj'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 Maharajganj.

Air Quality in Nearby Cities