Rae Bareli Air Quality Index (AQI) & Air Pollution Today

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

Rae Bareli AQI Right Now

107

Category: Moderate

Dominant Pollutant: pm25

PM2.5: 61.73 µg/m³

PM10: 77.65 µg/m³

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

Rae Bareli Pollutant Levels

PollutantConcentration
PM2.561.73 µg/m³
PM1077.65 µg/m³
O₃ (Ozone)19.78 µg/m³
NO₂16.21 µg/m³
SO₂5.49 µg/m³
CO588.86 µg/m³

Health Advisory — Rae Bareli

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

Health Impact — Rae Bareli

Cigarette Equivalent: Breathing this air is equivalent to smoking 2.8 cigarettes per day (based on current PM2.5 levels).

Life Expectancy Impact: Sustained exposure at this PM2.5 level could reduce life expectancy by 0.34 years (AQLI estimate, relative to WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³).

Health Recommendations for Rae Bareli

  • 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 Rae Bareli Air Quality

Rae Bareli, the headquarters of Rae Bareli 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 Rae Bareli distinctive within UP is political prominence (gandhi family constituency); rrcat railway coach production; iffco fertiliser. The Sai River 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

  • Vehicle exhaust
  • Industrial plant emissions
  • Agricultural burning
  • Brick kilns
  • Railway yard dust
  • Road dust

Geography: political prominence (Gandhi family constituency); RRCAT railway coach production; IFFCO fertiliser plant; glass works

Peak pollution months: November, December, January, February

Frequently Asked Questions — Rae Bareli

When is air quality worst in Rae Bareli?

Air quality in Rae Bareli is at its worst during November through February, when winter temperature inversions over the Gangetic Plain trap emissions from vehicle exhaust, industrial plant emissions, 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 Rae Bareli?

Rae Bareli's main pollution sources are: vehicle exhaust, industrial plant emissions, agricultural 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 Indian Railways production unit activities add a distinctive industrial or agricultural dimension specific to Rae Bareli.

Air Quality in Nearby Cities