Air quality in Patna
How bad is the air in Patna?
Patna’s 2025 average of AQI 131 is Moderate on the CPCB scale, and the median day was 124. 219 days crossed 100 (Moderate or worse) and 54 crossed 200 (Poor or worse).
The peak was AQI 316 on 6 January 2025. Coarse dust (PM10) set the index on 78% of days.
When Patna’s air is worst
January is the worst month at a mean of AQI 246; August the cleanest at ~62. 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 Patna: what drives it
The main sources of air pollution in Patna, per its NCAP city action plan and CPCB source studies, are brick kilns, vehicle exhaust, biomass burning and winter inversion. CPCB bulletins name coarse dust (PM10) as the prominent pollutant on 78% of 2025's days.
- brick kilns
- vehicle exhaust
- biomass burning
- winter inversion
How Patna compares
Among the 62 cities we map, Patna has the 7th highest annual AQI, against a median of 94 across those cities.
Elsewhere in Bihar, Bhagalpur averaged AQI 98.
See the full ranking on the India Air Quality Index by city.
Do you need an air purifier in Patna?
Verdict
For the worst months, yes — Patna is a seasonal case.
219 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 Patna
Groundwater near Patna averages ~500 mg/L TDS on CGWB monitoring — high on the BIS scale. The same government-data report, for what you drink.
Air
AQI 131
Moderate
Water
500 mg/L
TDS · High
Patna air — questions
What is the AQI in Patna 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, Patna averaged AQI 131 across 2025 and peaked at 316 on 6 January 2025, so a single day's reading should be judged against that range.
How bad is air pollution in Patna?
Patna's 2025 average of AQI 131 sits in CPCB's "Moderate" band. 54 days were Poor, Very Poor or Severe, and 145 days were Good or Satisfactory, out of 364 bulletin days.
Which month has the worst air quality in Patna?
January, with a monthly average of AQI 246 in 2025. August was the cleanest at ~62. The pattern follows local weather and the drivers below rather than the North Indian winter smog.
Is the air in Patna safe to breathe?
Not by CPCB's own scale: an annual AQI of 131 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 Patna?
For the worst months, yes — Patna is a seasonal case. 219 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 Patna's air pollution come from?
The main sources of air pollution in Patna, per its NCAP city action plan and CPCB source studies, are brick kilns, vehicle exhaust, biomass burning and winter inversion. CPCB bulletins name coarse dust (PM10) as the prominent pollutant on 78% 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 364 bulletin days for Patna in 2025, drawn from 6 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.