Howrah Air Quality Index (AQI) & Air Pollution Today

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

Howrah AQI Right Now

63

Category: Satisfactory

Dominant Pollutant: pm10

PM2.5: 30.57 µg/m³

PM10: 62.7 µg/m³

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

Howrah Pollutant Levels

PollutantConcentration
PM2.530.57 µg/m³
PM1062.7 µg/m³
O₃ (Ozone)24.72 µg/m³
NO₂5.51 µg/m³
SO₂3.16 µg/m³
CO1203.81 µg/m³

Health Advisory — Howrah

Satisfactory: Minor breathing discomfort to sensitive people.

Health Impact — Howrah

Cigarette Equivalent: Breathing this air is equivalent to smoking 1.4 cigarettes per day (based on current PM2.5 levels).

Life Expectancy Impact: Sustained exposure at this PM2.5 level could reduce life expectancy by 0.13 years (AQLI estimate, relative to WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³).

Health Recommendations for Howrah

  • 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 Howrah Air Quality

Howrah, Kolkata's twin city on the western bank of the Hooghly River, is one of India's most densely packed industrial-residential centres. Connected to Kolkata by the iconic Howrah Bridge (Rabindra Setu) and the newer Vidyasagar Setu, Howrah houses thousands of small-scale manufacturing units - from engineering workshops and paint factories to chemical processing - interspersed with dense residential areas.

Winter months (November–February) bring the worst air quality as the Gangetic delta's calm conditions trap emissions. PM2.5 concentrations regularly exceed 150 µg/m³, closely tracking Kolkata's readings across the river. The Howrah railway station - India's busiest by platform count - and the chronic traffic bottlenecks at the bridge approaches create concentrated vehicular emission zones. The Shibpur-Santragachi industrial belt housing foundries and rolling mills adds metal fumes and PM10.

The extreme population density (over 24,000 per sq km in core areas) concentrates domestic cooking, waste burning, and small-unit industrial emissions in a compact zone with minimal green space. Post-Diwali and Kali Puja firework emissions in November create severe short-term spikes. The monsoon (June–September) provides relief, though Howrah's low elevation and poor drainage mean post-rain waterlogging can create localised hygiene-related air quality issues.

Primary Pollution Sources

  • Industrial emissions (small-scale manufacturing)
  • Vehicle exhaust
  • Rail and road bridge congestion
  • Construction dust
  • Waste burning
  • Port-related activities

Geography: Western bank of the Hooghly River opposite Kolkata; dense urban-industrial fabric with major rail terminus and bridge bottlenecks

Peak pollution months: November, December, January, February

Frequently Asked Questions — Howrah

Is Howrah air quality different from Kolkata?

Howrah's air quality closely tracks Kolkata's since they share the same Hooghly River air basin, typically within 5–15% of each other's readings. However, Howrah's denser industrial-residential mix and bridge traffic bottlenecks can create localised PM10 spikes higher than central Kolkata.

What causes air pollution in Howrah?

Howrah's pollution comes from thousands of small-scale manufacturing units (foundries, chemical, engineering workshops), extreme traffic congestion at bridge approaches, rail station emissions, domestic waste burning in dense residential areas, and its share of the Kolkata metro area's vehicular exhaust.

Air Quality in Nearby Cities