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
Visakhapatnam's air quality was poor or worse on 41 out of 60 winter days, according to data from the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB). In December 2025, the Central Pollution Control Board's Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded 25 days in the 'poor' or 'very poor' categories, with an average AQI of 255, nearly three times the October average of 88.
Emissions and smoke from certain industries were found to be adversely affecting air quality, leading to environmental compensation imposed on 10 industries for violating environmental norms and pollution control standards. Air quality did not improve as expected despite inspections, as some industries were not complying with environmental regulations.
January saw 16 of its 30 readings 'poor' or worse, while February brought partial relief with only four 'poor' readings out of 26 published. Overall, 51 of 116 readings (44%) between November and February were 'poor' or worse, with only four 'poor' readings in the remaining nine months. The city's bowl-shaped terrain and temperature inversion trap pollutants, contributing to the higher AQI.
The APPCB is reviewing local industries and has proposed the installation of additional IoT sensor-based stations for real-time monitoring.
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