Air quality in Varanasi
How bad is the air in Varanasi?
Varanasi’s 2025 average of AQI 68 is Satisfactory on the CPCB scale, and the median day was 57. 70 days crossed 100 (Moderate or worse) and 2 crossed 200 (Poor or worse).
The peak was AQI 248 on 14 December 2025. Coarse dust (PM10) set the index on 90% of days.
When Varanasi’s air is worst
December is the worst month at a mean of AQI 126; August the cleanest at ~38. 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 December covers the rest of the year with headroom, and windows can be opened in August.
Pollution in Varanasi: what drives it
The main sources of air pollution in Varanasi, per its NCAP city action plan and CPCB source studies, are vehicle exhaust, construction dust, biomass burning and winter inversion. CPCB bulletins name coarse dust (PM10) as the prominent pollutant on 90% of 2025's days.
- vehicle exhaust
- construction dust
- biomass burning
- winter inversion
How Varanasi compares
Among the 62 cities we map, Varanasi has the 9th lowest 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 Varanasi?
Verdict
Not essential — Varanasi's outdoor air stayed Satisfactory most of the year.
Only 70 of 364 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 December 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 Varanasi
Groundwater near Varanasi averages ~499 mg/L TDS on CGWB monitoring — acceptable on the BIS scale. The same government-data report, for what you drink.
Air
AQI 68
Satisfactory
Water
499 mg/L
TDS · Acceptable
Varanasi air — questions
What is the AQI in Varanasi 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, Varanasi averaged AQI 68 across 2025 and peaked at 248 on 14 December 2025, so a single day's reading should be judged against that range.
How bad is air pollution in Varanasi?
Varanasi's 2025 average of AQI 68 sits in CPCB's "Satisfactory" band. 2 days were Poor, Very Poor or Severe, and 294 days were Good or Satisfactory, out of 364 bulletin days.
Which month has the worst air quality in Varanasi?
December, with a monthly average of AQI 126 in 2025. August was the cleanest at ~38. The post-monsoon build-up, cooler nights and a lower mixing height trap pollution from October onwards.
Is the air in Varanasi safe to breathe?
On average, yes: an annual AQI of 68 is within the "Satisfactory" band, where CPCB expects only minor discomfort for sensitive people. Individual days still crossed into Moderate or worse 70 times in 2025, so sensitive groups should watch the daily number.
Do I need an air purifier in Varanasi?
Not essential — Varanasi's outdoor air stayed Satisfactory most of the year. Only 70 of 364 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 Varanasi's air pollution come from?
The main sources of air pollution in Varanasi, per its NCAP city action plan and CPCB source studies, are vehicle exhaust, construction dust, biomass burning and winter inversion. CPCB bulletins name coarse dust (PM10) as the prominent pollutant on 90% 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 Varanasi 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.