Visakhapatnam’s air was ‘poor’ or worse on 41 of 60 winter days, pollution board data show
All 10 monitoring stations in Visakhapatnam breached the annual PM10 limit over 12 months; the city’s bowl-shaped terrain and winter temperature inversion trap pollutants, an APPCB scientist says
From December 2025 to January 2026, air quality in Visakhapatnam deteriorated significantly, with 41 out of 60 daily readings classified as 'poor' or worse, according to data from the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB). The Central Pollution Control Board's Air Quality Index (AQI) categorized 25 of these readings as 'poor' or 'very poor', with none being 'good' or 'satisfactory'.
The average AQI during this period was 255, nearly three times higher than the 88 recorded in October. The APPCB imposed environmental compensation totaling ₹16.33 crore on 10 industries for violating environmental norms and pollution control standards, citing emissions and smoke as major contributors to the poor air quality. The bowl-shaped terrain of Visakhapatnam, along with a temperature inversion phenomenon, trap pollutants and push up the AQI.
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