Hyderabad - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?
From November-February the AQI is around 150-300. My kids had respiratory issues both years but nothing major. We used our air filters and planned mostly inside activities during 'bad air' season. Hyderabad consistently had the best AQI compared to Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai. If you are considering India, I would strongly suggest Hyderabad. - Jun 2024
Moderate. Worse in 'winter' when people burn things for heat. It's much cleaner here than Delhi or Mumbai - MUCH better. People do sometimes have some respiratory issues and allergies. There is a lot of pollen, etc because there are a lot of trees and plants. - Apr 2024
Hyderabad’s AQI is much better than other large Indian cities (Delhi in particular), but you will notice the air often smells smoky, sulfurous, chemical or otherwise and AQI monitors will show you it’s not wonderful. Worst in winter. Still, not so atrocious and the filters in your apartment work well. - Jan 2023
Air quality was decent, especially compared to Delhi. The air felt great in the monsoon season. If you expect blue skies you will be disappointed. You can counter that disappointment on most days by looking at AQIs in other Indian cities and feeling grateful that you are where you are... - Dec 2020
Bad. It's not Beijing or even Delhi, but the air is noticeably worse than most major cities here. During the "winter", folks usually keep warm by burning trash, which doesn't help. - Jul 2020
Many locals refer to bad air quality days as "bad weather." There is a real lack of education about the seriousness of pollution in India in general. Air quality in Hyderabad is better than in Kolkata and Delhi, but on par with Mumbai, and slightly worse than Chennai and Bangalore. It runs above 100 AQI almost every day of the year, and is near or above 200 from Diwali in late October through the summer months (March). Those without lung problems won't notice it, and with lower temperatures may even speak about how lovely the weather is -- this is a big problem. The air is unhealthy and everyone should come prepared with masks and minimize time outdoors during the heavy pollution season. Every year, more and more information comes out about the deleterious effects of pollution, so I don't buy that it's not affecting you if you "don't feel it until it's over 200 AQI." A good percentage of Hyderabad's pollution comes from construction projects (which are everywhere and all year) while the Dec-Feb period see the highest incidences of burning, including garbage, leaves, and sewage -- the whole city smells bad, the sky is ugly, the rain is gone, and anyone with pulmonary sensitivities won't last more than 15 minutes outdoors. - Jul 2019
Better than most Indian cities, worse than most American cities. Worse in the winter. Overall we haven't been too affected. - Jan 2019
This post BY FAR has the best air quality of India posts year round! - Nov 2017
Quality of air varies from unhealthy to very unhealthy. You can smell the pollution. Some people develop respiratory issues. The smell of India is always in the air i.e. open sewers, burned garbage, body odor, human waste - you name it, it is here. - Sep 2016
I would say it's good in the summer, moderate in the fall, and moderate/unhealthy in the winter. Honestly, it's probably 10x better than Delhi in the winter. There were only a few days where you would look out and tell that it was smoggy. The rest of the day: blue, clear skies. - Mar 2015
Compared to other places I've lived, the air quality is actually pretty good. Even in the winter months, when places like New Delhi have really bad pollution problems, we have blue skies here. Because we're on the Deccan Plateau, there's very little humidity. - Jan 2015
Very poor but excellent by Indian standards. You will want air purifiers for your home. - Nov 2014
Terrible by global standards, but moderate for India. Many days the air quality readings are above 150 ppm, which is unsafe. It always smells here. You get used to that, even though sometimes the stench from Hussain Sagar Lake (medical waste/sewage) gets overwhelming. For the most part, you get used to the constant odor. - Jul 2014
Air quality is poor because of the traffic emissions. Walking on the street or riding in an autorickshaw, you will breathe in fumes and dust. - Mar 2012
Good most of the year, moderate during the summer with smoke and haze. - Feb 2012
Terrible! Sometimes the visibility is less than a mile because of pollution. - Jan 2011
