Air quality in Kanpur
How bad is the air in Kanpur?
Kanpur’s 2025 average of AQI 97 is Satisfactory on the CPCB scale, and the median day was 90. 137 days crossed 100 (Moderate or worse) and 11 crossed 200 (Poor or worse).
The peak was AQI 256 on 8 November 2025. Coarse dust (PM10) set the index on 79% of days.
When Kanpur’s air is worst
November is the worst month at a mean of AQI 152; July the cleanest at ~55. That is the post-monsoon pattern: cooler nights lower the mixing height, winds drop, and whatever the city emits stays over it.
Plan around the profile, not the average: a purifier sized for November covers the rest of the year with headroom, and windows can be opened in July.
Pollution in Kanpur: what drives it
The main sources of air pollution in Kanpur, per its NCAP city action plan and CPCB source studies, are industrial and tannery emissions, vehicle exhaust, biomass burning and winter inversion. CPCB bulletins name coarse dust (PM10) as the prominent pollutant on 79% of 2025's days.
- industrial and tannery emissions
- vehicle exhaust
- biomass burning
- winter inversion
How Kanpur compares
Among the 62 cities we map, Kanpur has the 27th highest annual AQI, against a median of 94 across those cities.
Elsewhere in Uttar Pradesh, Ghaziabad averaged AQI 186, Noida 177, Meerut 148 and Lucknow 125.
See the full ranking on the India Air Quality Index by city.
Do you need an air purifier in Kanpur?
Verdict
For the worst months, yes — Kanpur is a seasonal case.
137 days in 2025 were Moderate or worse, concentrated around November. 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 November 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 Kanpur
Groundwater near Kanpur averages ~650 mg/L TDS on CGWB monitoring — high on the BIS scale. The same government-data report, for what you drink.
Air
AQI 97
Satisfactory
Water
650 mg/L
TDS · High
Kanpur air — questions
What is the AQI in Kanpur 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, Kanpur averaged AQI 97 across 2025 and peaked at 256 on 8 November 2025, so a single day's reading should be judged against that range.
How bad is air pollution in Kanpur?
Kanpur's 2025 average of AQI 97 sits in CPCB's "Satisfactory" band. 11 days were Poor, Very Poor or Severe, and 226 days were Good or Satisfactory, out of 363 bulletin days.
Which month has the worst air quality in Kanpur?
November, with a monthly average of AQI 152 in 2025. July was the cleanest at ~55. The post-monsoon build-up, cooler nights and a lower mixing height trap pollution from October onwards.
Is the air in Kanpur safe to breathe?
On average, yes: an annual AQI of 97 is within the "Satisfactory" band, where CPCB expects only minor discomfort for sensitive people. Individual days still crossed into Moderate or worse 137 times in 2025, so sensitive groups should watch the daily number.
Do I need an air purifier in Kanpur?
For the worst months, yes — Kanpur is a seasonal case. 137 days in 2025 were Moderate or worse, concentrated around November. 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 Kanpur's air pollution come from?
The main sources of air pollution in Kanpur, per its NCAP city action plan and CPCB source studies, are industrial and tannery emissions, vehicle exhaust, biomass burning and winter inversion. CPCB bulletins name coarse dust (PM10) as the prominent pollutant on 79% 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 363 bulletin days for Kanpur in 2025, drawn from 4 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.