Air quality in Chandigarh
How bad is the air in Chandigarh?
Chandigarh’s 2025 average of AQI 118 is Moderate on the CPCB scale, and the median day was 102. 191 days crossed 100 (Moderate or worse) and 43 crossed 200 (Poor or worse).
The peak was AQI 361 on 10 January 2025. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the index on 54% of days.
When Chandigarh’s air is worst
January is the worst month at a mean of AQI 240; August the cleanest at ~54. A dry-season peak — dust and dispersion, not the northern winter smog.
Plan around the profile, not the average: a purifier sized for January covers the rest of the year with headroom, and windows can be opened in August.
Pollution in Chandigarh: what drives it
The main sources of air pollution in Chandigarh, per its NCAP city action plan and CPCB source studies, are stubble-burning smoke in October–November, vehicle exhaust and winter inversion. CPCB bulletins name fine particulate matter (PM2.5) as the prominent pollutant on 54% of 2025's days.
- stubble-burning smoke in October–November
- vehicle exhaust
- winter inversion
How Chandigarh compares
Among the 62 cities we map, Chandigarh has the 15th highest annual AQI, against a median of 94 across those cities.
Elsewhere in Punjab, Ludhiana averaged AQI 103, Jalandhar 98 and Amritsar 95.
See the full ranking on the India Air Quality Index by city.
Do you need an air purifier in Chandigarh?
Verdict
For the worst months, yes — Chandigarh is a seasonal case.
191 days in 2025 were Moderate or worse, concentrated around January. A single well-sized unit in the bedroom, run through those months, covers most of the exposure; the rest of the year it is optional unless someone at home has asthma or allergies.
What actually works
- Size by volume, not the box. Coverage claims assume ~2 air changes an hour; a January night wants 5.
- Bedroom first. Eight closed-door hours a night is where a purifier makes its measurable difference.
- Watch the live number. On Good and Satisfactory days, ventilate; on Poor days, close up and run the unit at the speed that delivers its CADR.
06 · The other half
Water in Chandigarh
Groundwater near Chandigarh averages ~541 mg/L TDS on CGWB monitoring — high on the BIS scale. The same government-data report, for what you drink.
Air
AQI 118
Moderate
Water
541 mg/L
TDS · High
Chandigarh air — questions
What is the AQI in Chandigarh today?
Today's figure comes from CPCB's live station feed and is shown at the top of this page, updated hourly when the feed is reachable. For context, Chandigarh averaged AQI 118 across 2025 and peaked at 361 on 10 January 2025, so a single day's reading should be judged against that range.
How bad is air pollution in Chandigarh?
Chandigarh's 2025 average of AQI 118 sits in CPCB's "Moderate" band. 43 days were Poor, Very Poor or Severe, and 171 days were Good or Satisfactory, out of 362 bulletin days.
Which month has the worst air quality in Chandigarh?
January, with a monthly average of AQI 240 in 2025. August was the cleanest at ~54. The pattern follows local weather and the drivers below rather than the North Indian winter smog.
Is the air in Chandigarh safe to breathe?
Not by CPCB's own scale: an annual AQI of 118 is "Moderate", which CPCB associates with breathing discomfort on prolonged exposure for people with lung or heart disease, children and older adults. The 24-hour PM2.5 standard (60 µg/m³) is roughly where AQI passes 100.
Do I need an air purifier in Chandigarh?
For the worst months, yes — Chandigarh is a seasonal case. 191 days in 2025 were Moderate or worse, concentrated around January. A single well-sized unit in the bedroom, run through those months, covers most of the exposure; the rest of the year it is optional unless someone at home has asthma or allergies.
Where does Chandigarh's air pollution come from?
The main sources of air pollution in Chandigarh, per its NCAP city action plan and CPCB source studies, are stubble-burning smoke in October–November, vehicle exhaust and winter inversion. CPCB bulletins name fine particulate matter (PM2.5) as the prominent pollutant on 54% of 2025's days.
Where does this air quality data come from?
From the Central Pollution Control Board's daily AQI bulletin, published at 4 PM as a 24-hour average for each city with continuous monitoring stations. This page aggregates 362 bulletin days for Chandigarh in 2025, drawn from 3 stations. The live figure uses the same CPCB station network through the Government of India's open-data feed.
Air quality in other cities
Data sources
- CPCB Daily AQI Bulletin (4 PM, 24-hour average), 2025 — city-level National AQI, prominent pollutant and station counts
- CPCB National Air Quality Index (2014) — six-band scale used for all categories
- NAAQS 2009 (24-hour PM2.5 60 µg/m³, PM10 100 µg/m³) — the concentrations that mark the Satisfactory/Moderate boundary
- Live readings: CPCB real-time station feed via data.gov.in, refreshed hourly.
Primary dataset: Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) National Air Quality Index, Government of India.
Disclaimer: Figures are city-level averages of the CPCB daily AQI bulletin for the year shown and may differ from the air at your address, which depends on traffic, construction and the nearest station. This page is general information, not medical advice; for respiratory or cardiac conditions consult a qualified professional. Any purifier guidance is general sizing advice, not a product recommendation.