Unnao Air Quality Index (AQI) & Air Pollution Today

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

Unnao AQI Right Now

77

Category: Satisfactory

Dominant Pollutant: pm10

PM2.5: 42.94 µg/m³

PM10: 76.25 µg/m³

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

Unnao Pollutant Levels

PollutantConcentration
PM2.542.94 µg/m³
PM1076.25 µg/m³
O₃ (Ozone)12.14 µg/m³
NO₂27.34 µg/m³
SO₂4.91 µg/m³
CO886.72 µg/m³

Health Advisory — Unnao

Satisfactory: Minor breathing discomfort to sensitive people.

Health Impact — Unnao

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 0.21 years (AQLI estimate, relative to WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³).

Health Recommendations for Unnao

  • 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 Unnao Air Quality

Unnao, the headquarters of Unnao 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 Unnao distinctive within UP is between kanpur and lucknow; tannery industry with chromium pollution legacy (sai river contamination. The Sai River (Ganga tributary) 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

  • Leather tannery chemicals
  • Vehicle exhaust
  • Agricultural burning
  • Brick kilns
  • Textile industry
  • Road dust

Geography: between Kanpur and Lucknow; tannery industry with chromium pollution legacy (Sai River contamination); leather and textile industrial zone

Peak pollution months: November, December, January, February

Frequently Asked Questions — Unnao

When is air quality worst in Unnao?

Air quality in Unnao is at its worst during November through February, when winter temperature inversions over the Gangetic Plain trap emissions from leather tannery chemicals, vehicle exhaust, 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 Unnao?

Unnao's main pollution sources are: leather tannery chemicals, vehicle exhaust, 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 leather tanning (chromium-rich) activities add a distinctive industrial or agricultural dimension specific to Unnao.

Air Quality in Nearby Cities