Air quality in Mangalore
How bad is the air in Mangalore?
Mangalore’s 2025 average of AQI 65 is Satisfactory on the CPCB scale, and the median day was 57. 37 days crossed 100 (Moderate or worse) and 1 crossed 200 (Poor or worse).
The peak was AQI 214 on 30 November 2025. Coarse dust (PM10) set the index on 84% of days.
When Mangalore’s air is worst
January is the worst month at a mean of AQI 99; September the cleanest at ~39. 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 September.
Pollution in Mangalore: what drives it
Across Karnataka, the usual drivers of poor air are vehicle exhaust, construction dust, industrial emissions and waste burning. CPCB bulletins name coarse dust (PM10) as the prominent pollutant on 84% of 2025's days.
- vehicle exhaust
- construction dust
- industrial emissions
- waste burning
How Mangalore compares
Among the 62 cities we map, Mangalore has the 8th lowest annual AQI, against a median of 94 across those cities.
Elsewhere in Karnataka, Bangalore averaged AQI 75, Belgaum 56, Mysore 50 and Hubli 47.
See the full ranking on the India Air Quality Index by city.
Do you need an air purifier in Mangalore?
Verdict
Not essential — Mangalore's outdoor air stayed Satisfactory most of the year.
Only 37 of 280 bulletin days went above Satisfactory. Indoor sources (cooking, incense, dust, a busy road outside) can still justify a purifier for a nursery or an allergy household, and sizing still matters — see the calculator.
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 Mangalore
Groundwater near Mangalore averages ~70 mg/L TDS on CGWB monitoring — excellent on the BIS scale. The same government-data report, for what you drink.
Air
AQI 65
Satisfactory
Water
70 mg/L
TDS · Excellent
Mangalore air — questions
What is the AQI in Mangalore 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, Mangalore averaged AQI 65 across 2025 and peaked at 214 on 30 November 2025, so a single day's reading should be judged against that range.
How bad is air pollution in Mangalore?
Mangalore's 2025 average of AQI 65 sits in CPCB's "Satisfactory" band. 1 day was Poor, Very Poor or Severe, and 243 days were Good or Satisfactory, out of 280 bulletin days.
Which month has the worst air quality in Mangalore?
January, with a monthly average of AQI 99 in 2025. September was the cleanest at ~39. The pattern follows local weather and the drivers below rather than the North Indian winter smog.
Is the air in Mangalore safe to breathe?
On average, yes: an annual AQI of 65 is within the "Satisfactory" band, where CPCB expects only minor discomfort for sensitive people. Individual days still crossed into Moderate or worse 37 times in 2025, so sensitive groups should watch the daily number.
Do I need an air purifier in Mangalore?
Not essential — Mangalore's outdoor air stayed Satisfactory most of the year. Only 37 of 280 bulletin days went above Satisfactory. Indoor sources (cooking, incense, dust, a busy road outside) can still justify a purifier for a nursery or an allergy household, and sizing still matters — see the calculator.
Where does Mangalore's air pollution come from?
Across Karnataka, the usual drivers of poor air are vehicle exhaust, construction dust, industrial emissions and waste burning. CPCB bulletins name coarse dust (PM10) as the prominent pollutant on 84% 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 280 bulletin days for Mangalore in 2025, drawn from 1 station. 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.