Asansol Air Quality Index (AQI) & Air Pollution Today

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

Asansol AQI Right Now

102

Category: Moderate

Dominant Pollutant: pm10

PM2.5: 60.3 µg/m³

PM10: 101.46 µg/m³

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

Asansol Pollutant Levels

PollutantConcentration
PM2.560.3 µg/m³
PM10101.46 µg/m³
O₃ (Ozone)19.08 µg/m³
NO₂19.2 µg/m³
SO₂13.25 µg/m³
CO1106.72 µg/m³

Health Advisory — Asansol

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

Health Impact — Asansol

Cigarette Equivalent: Breathing this air is equivalent to smoking 2.7 cigarettes per day (based on current PM2.5 levels).

Life Expectancy Impact: Sustained exposure at this PM2.5 level could reduce life expectancy by 0.33 years (AQLI estimate, relative to WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³).

Health Recommendations for Asansol

  • 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 Asansol Air Quality

Asansol sits at the heart of India's oldest coal belt - the Raniganj Coalfield, where commercial mining has been active since 1774. The city is surrounded by open-cast and underground mines operated by Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), whose headquarters are located here. Fine coal dust from active mining zones, overburden dumps, and coal transport along the Grand Trunk Road creates a persistent haze that distinguishes Asansol from other mid-tier Indian cities.

The IISCO Steel Plant (now part of SAIL) anchors the city's heavy industrial profile, adding metallic particulate matter, SO2, and NOx to the ambient air. Multiple thermal power stations (Mejia, Durgapur) in the wider Asansol-Durgapur corridor contribute fly ash and stack emissions. During winter months (November–February), the Damodar River valley acts as a temperature inversion trap, and AQI readings frequently push into the Very Poor category (NAQI 300–400) as cold, stagnant air holds coal dust and industrial emissions at ground level.

The summer monsoon (June–September) provides significant relief, with heavy rainfall washing particulates from the atmosphere and wet coalfield roads suppressing dust. However, even in monsoon months, localised hotspots near the Burnpur steel works and Raniganj mining clusters can register PM10 levels above the safe threshold.

Primary Pollution Sources

  • Coal mining dust
  • Steel and iron industry emissions
  • Vehicle exhaust
  • Thermal power plant emissions
  • Road dust
  • Brick kilns

Geography: Raniganj-Asansol coal belt in western Bengal; major railway junction, surrounded by open-cast coal mines, Damodar valley industrial zone

Peak pollution months: November, December, January, February

Frequently Asked Questions — Asansol

How do coal mines affect Asansol's air quality?

Open-cast coal mines in the Raniganj coalfield generate large quantities of coarse and fine dust (PM10 and PM2.5) from blasting, excavation, and transport operations. Coal dust settles on roads and buildings across the city and is resuspended by traffic. ECL's mining operations and overburden dumps surrounding Asansol create a baseline particulate load that persists year-round, worsening in dry winter months when there is no rain to suppress dust.

When is the best time to visit Asansol for clean air?

July through September offers the cleanest air in Asansol, with monsoon rains suppressing coal dust and washing out industrial particulates. AQI typically falls into the Good to Satisfactory range (NAQI 0–100). Avoid November through February when winter inversions in the Damodar valley trap coal and industrial emissions.

Air Quality in Nearby Cities