Air quality in Chennai today
The official air quality index for Chennai from the Central Pollution Control Board's monitors, updated every hour, and what it means for your day.
Pick a city to begin.
On a Poor day like today
The biggest difference comes from breathing in less of it: a fitted N95 outside, and windows shut at the worst hours. LungsPure, one spoon at night, supports your lungs through the season alongside those steps, never instead of them.
This week
Get a WhatsApp alert on bad-air days
One short morning message when your city turns Poor (AQI 201+) or worse. Nothing else.
Made for lungs that live in this air
LungsPure, one spoon before sleeping.
LungsPure: Ayurvedic support for lungs in city air →From government reports and studies
About Chennai's air
- Chennai is one of the 131 cities in the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP); ₹367 crore had been released to it from 2019-20 to December 2023.
- Its NCAP target for 2021-22 was 15% less PM10 and 15 more good-air days. That year it recorded an annual PM10 level of 55 µg/m³, with 357 days of AQI below 200.
Sources: PIB (MoEFCC), Allocation of funds to 131 cities under NCAP (21 Dec 2023); PIB (MoEFCC), NCAP to improve air quality in 131 cities (23 Mar 2023).
Where Chennai's air is measured
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, has 7 continuous government monitors reporting to the Central Pollution Control Board. The reading above is the middle value across all of them that reported in the last six hours, and the range shows how much it varies across the city.
- Arumbakkam
- Manali
- Velachery Res. Area
- Kodungaiyur
- Royapuram
- Manali Village
- Perungudi
The monitors are run by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and the Central Pollution Control Board.
Nearest other cities with official monitors: Gummidipoondi (40 km), Tirupati (109 km), Tirumala (117 km), Chittoor (126 km). Distances are straight-line, between the cities' monitors.
What Chennai's number means
India's air quality index runs from 0 to 500. It is worked out from 24-hour averages of the main pollutants, and the worst one sets the number. In most Indian cities that is fine dust, PM2.5 or PM10.
Bands and wording follow the Central Pollution Control Board's national air quality index.
Why an app may show a different number
- Different scale. Many apps use the US index, which treats the same fine dust as worse. We lead with the Indian index and show the US figure beside it.
- One monitor or many. Chennai can have several government monitors, and a roadside one reads higher than one in a park. We show the middle reading and the range across the city.
- Hourly or daily. The official index uses 24-hour averages, so it moves more slowly than an app that shows the last hour.
On a poor air day
- Check the reading before an outdoor run or walk, and move it indoors or to a cleaner hour.
- Keep windows shut during the worst hours, often late evening and early morning when the air is still.
- Wear a well-fitted N95 mask in traffic or outdoors when the band is Poor or worse.
- Run an air purifier in the room you sleep in, if you have one.
- If you have a lung or heart condition, follow your doctor's advice for high-pollution days.
Common questions
What is a good air quality index in Chennai?
On India's scale, 0 to 50 is Good and 51 to 100 is Satisfactory. From 101 the air starts to affect sensitive people, and from 201 most people feel it after long exposure.
How often is Chennai's reading updated?
Every hour. The Central Pollution Control Board publishes readings from its continuous monitors, and this page shows the latest one.
Why do readings vary across Chennai?
Each monitor measures the air around it, so busy roads, construction and industry read higher than quieter areas. That is why we show the middle reading of all live monitors along with the range.
Does LungsPure change the air quality?
No. Nothing you take changes the air you breathe. LungsPure is an Ayurvedic avaleha taken once a night to support your lungs. It does not replace masks, purifiers or your doctor's advice.
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