Bengaluru Air Quality Improves As Rain Brings AQI Into Good Range

Bengaluru residents are getting some relief from pollution as the city recorded an AQI in the good category on August 24. Recent spells of rain appear to have helped bring down airborne pollutants across several parts of the city.

The overall AQI in Bengaluru was reported between 33 and 50, placing it within the good range. PM2.5 was around 20 micrograms per cubic metre, while PM10 stood at about 23 micrograms per cubic metre. The temperature was around 24 degrees Celsius.

Even busy areas such as Silk Board, Whitefield and Peenya were reporting relatively cleaner air. The improvement comes as welcome news for people who regularly commute through these high traffic zones.

Karnataka Cities Also See Better Air

The improvement is not limited to Bengaluru. Mysuru and Mangaluru were also reporting AQI levels around the 35 to 45 range, indicating good air quality.

Hubballi Dharwad and Belagavi were recording AQI levels around 40 to 55. These readings fall between the good and satisfactory categories and indicate that pollution remains relatively controlled.

Why Rain Helps Air Quality

Continuous rainfall can temporarily improve air quality by washing suspended dust and other particles out of the atmosphere. Reduced dust levels and favourable weather conditions can therefore make the air feel noticeably cleaner after several days of rain.

The AQI scale generally considers readings from 0 to 50 as good, while 51 to 100 falls under the satisfactory category. With several major Karnataka cities currently remaining within or close to the good range, the latest readings offer some relief to residents.

For Bengaluru in particular, the cleaner conditions provide a better environment for routine outdoor activities. However, AQI can change during the day depending on traffic, weather, wind and local pollution sources.