Robertsganj Air Quality Index (AQI) & Air Pollution Today

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

Robertsganj AQI Right Now

99

Category: Satisfactory

Dominant Pollutant: pm10

PM2.5: 34.86 µg/m³

PM10: 99.25 µg/m³

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

Robertsganj Pollutant Levels

PollutantConcentration
PM2.534.86 µg/m³
PM1099.25 µg/m³
O₃ (Ozone)5.72 µg/m³
NO₂24.29 µg/m³
SO₂13.02 µg/m³
CO443.88 µg/m³

Health Advisory — Robertsganj

Satisfactory: Minor breathing discomfort to sensitive people.

Health Impact — Robertsganj

Cigarette Equivalent: Breathing this air is equivalent to smoking 1.6 cigarettes per day (based on current PM2.5 levels).

Life Expectancy Impact: Sustained exposure at this PM2.5 level could reduce life expectancy by 0.16 years (AQLI estimate, relative to WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³).

Health Recommendations for Robertsganj

  • 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 Robertsganj Air Quality

Robertsganj sits in one of Uttar Pradesh's most heavily industrialised zones - Sonbhadra district - where thermal power plants, mining operations, and allied industries create persistent air quality challenges year-round.

Unlike the seasonal agricultural pollution pattern of other UP cities, Robertsganj's industrial emissions are constant: coal fly-ash from coal power plant fly ash, aluminium smelter emissions, plus vehicular and construction activity, maintain elevated PM2.5 even in the monsoon months when rainfall would otherwise clear the air. The Son River valley and its reservoir act as a pollution corridor for stack emissions during winter inversions.

Winter inversions (November–February) compound the industrial baseline: cold dense air traps fly-ash, SO₂, and NOₓ close to ground level, creating episodes where AQI exceeds 300 µg/m³. The Son River basin's flat terrain amplifies this trapping effect. Summers bring partial relief as convective mixing lifts the pollution layer, but Robertsganj remains one of UP's most chronically polluted cities due to its industrial intensity.

Primary Pollution Sources

  • Coal power plant fly ash
  • Aluminium smelter emissions
  • Limestone quarry dust
  • Vehicle exhaust
  • Road dust
  • Thermal plant stack

Geography: Sonbhadra district HQ; most industrialised district in UP; NTPC Rihand, Obra, Anpara thermal plants; Hindalco aluminium smelter; coal mining

Peak pollution months: November, December, January, February

Frequently Asked Questions — Robertsganj

When is air quality worst in Robertsganj?

Air quality in Robertsganj is at its worst during November through February, when winter temperature inversions over the Gangetic Plain trap emissions from coal power plant fly ash, aluminium smelter 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 Robertsganj?

Robertsganj's main pollution sources are: coal power plant fly ash, aluminium smelter emissions, limestone quarry dust, 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 coal power plants activities add a distinctive industrial or agricultural dimension specific to Robertsganj.

Air Quality in Nearby Cities