Korba — Seasonal Pollution Patterns
Month-by-month air quality patterns for Korba across 3 years of CPCB data. Based on CPCB station data, 2016–present.
Chhattisgarh · Live Korba AQI →
At a glance
Based on 3 years of CPCB monitoring across 2 stations, Korba averages AQI 69 annually, with a pronounced seasonal pattern classified as monsoon-cleansed. The worst month is January at AQI 97 (Satisfactory) and the cleanest is July at AQI 36 (Good) — a 61-point swing between them. Severe days (AQI > 400) make up 0% of the record while Good-or-Satisfactory days account for 78.8%.
The four seasons
Indian meteorological seasons: Winter (Dec–Feb), Summer (Mar–May), Monsoon (Jun–Sep), Post-monsoon (Oct–Nov).
Winter
AQI 101Summer
AQI 95Monsoon
AQI 48Post-monsoon
AQI 81Climograph — monthly averages and Poor+ days
Bars show the long-run AQI average per month. The overlay line counts days in Poor, Very Poor or Severe bands.
Year × month heatmap
One cell per year-month combination.
Each cell = monthly average AQI for that year-month combination. Row averages on the right, column averages at the bottom.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 86 | — | — | 86 |
| 2023 | 124 | 99 | 81 | 99 | 95 | 65 | 37 | 41 | 32 | 47 | 70 | 63 | 70 |
| 2024 | 78 | 71 | 70 | 80 | 71 | 63 | 33 | 34 | 46 | 75 | 79 | 85 | 67 |
| Avg | 98 | 85 | 75 | 90 | 83 | 64 | 35 | 38 | 38 | 63 | 75 | 74 | — |
Winter in Korba
Winter (Dec–Jan–Feb) in Korba averages AQI 101 across 173 measured days — Moderate on the NAQI scale. 0.6% of those days fall in Very Poor or Severe; 63% are Good or Satisfactory. Year-on-year, winter improved by 17.2% in the most recent comparison. Winter is the defining season for Korba's air quality. Shallow temperature inversions trap local vehicle, industrial and biomass emissions near ground level, while regional transport patterns bring in dust and biomass smoke from upwind regions. Cool, stagnant mornings compound the problem; visibility falls, respiratory complaints spike, and short-term pollution peaks of AQI 400+ are routine. Sensitive groups — children, elderly, asthma and cardiac patients — should treat the full Dec–Jan–Feb window as a mandatory mask-and-purifier period.
Diwali, stubble burning and the monsoon
Three India-specific signatures that shape the seasonal curve.
Diwali week impact
The 7-day window around Diwali averages AQI 84 (Satisfactory), versus 77 (Satisfactory) for the rest of October. 20 sampled days across the CPCB record.
Stubble-burning window (Oct 15 – Nov 15)
In-window severe-day share 0% vs 0% outside the window. The difference is a direct signal of upwind crop-residue transport.
Monsoon cleansing (Jul 15 – Sep 15)
Core monsoon window averages AQI 39 (Good), compared with an annual mean of 78.
Summer
Summer (Mar–Apr–May) in Korba averages AQI 95 across 183 measured days — Satisfactory on the NAQI scale. 0% of those days fall in Very Poor or Severe; 69.9% are Good or Satisfactory. Year-on-year, summer improved by 21.3% in the most recent comparison. Summer air in Korba is shaped by a very different mix of forces. Rising temperatures drive deeper vertical mixing which dilutes local emissions, but pre-monsoon dust storms, wildfires and heat-accelerated ozone formation can all push AQI higher on individual days. Korba's summer mean of 95 is the lighter side of the year for outdoor activity, though hot afternoons can still irritate sensitive airways.
Monsoon
Monsoon (Jun–Jul–Aug–Sep) in Korba averages AQI 48 across 230 measured days — Good on the NAQI scale. 0% of those days fall in Very Poor or Severe; 96.5% are Good or Satisfactory. Year-on-year, monsoon improved by 4.8% in the most recent comparison. The Jul 15 – Sep 15 core monsoon window averages AQI 39, a 50% improvement on the annual mean of 78. Rain scrubs particulates out by wet deposition, and the deeper monsoon boundary layer disperses what remains vertically. Short-lived rebounds can happen between spells of rain, but the overall pattern is strongly favourable for outdoor activity. For anyone with asthma or heart conditions, monsoon is the easy-breathing stretch of the year in Korba.
Post-monsoon
Post-monsoon (Oct–Nov) in Korba averages AQI 81 across 127 measured days — Satisfactory on the NAQI scale. 0% of those days fall in Very Poor or Severe; 81.1% are Good or Satisfactory. Year-on-year, post-monsoon worsened by 42.6% in the most recent comparison. Post-monsoon in Korba is the handoff from clean monsoon air to the winter peak, and the transition is rarely gentle.
Month-by-month trajectories
How each month has moved across the 3-year CPCB record.
First year vs latest year
Annual and per-season comparison.
Across the 3-year CPCB record Korba is improving overall — AQI moved from 86 in 2022 to 67 in 2024, a -22.1% change. No month shows a material worsening of 10% or more. No month shows a material improvement of 10% or more. Because Korba's seasonal shape is monsoon-cleansed, policy action that targets the January peak buys disproportionate relief — most city-wide annual averages are dragged upwards by the worst two or three months.
Daily calendar heatmap
Every measured day for the last 3 years. Expand for the full 3-year archive.
Month-by-month deep dive
Tap any month to expand.
Jan2023–2024Latest AQI 78-37%
Jan in Korba averages AQI 78 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 124 in 2023. Direction: improving (-37.1%).
Feb2023–2024Latest AQI 71-28%
Feb in Korba averages AQI 71 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 99 in 2023. Direction: improving (-28.3%).
Mar2023–2024Latest AQI 70-14%
Mar in Korba averages AQI 70 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 81 in 2023. Direction: improving (-13.6%).
Apr2023–2024Latest AQI 80-19%
Apr in Korba averages AQI 80 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 99 in 2023. Direction: improving (-19.2%).
May2023–2024Latest AQI 71-25%
May in Korba averages AQI 71 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 95 in 2023. Direction: improving (-25.3%).
Jun2023–2024Latest AQI 63-3%
Jun in Korba averages AQI 63 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 65 in 2023. Direction: stable (-3.1%).
Jul2023–2024Latest AQI 33-11%
Jul in Korba averages AQI 33 (Good) in the most recent year, having moved from 37 in 2023. Direction: improving (-10.8%).
Aug2023–2024Latest AQI 34-17%
Aug in Korba averages AQI 34 (Good) in the most recent year, having moved from 41 in 2023. Direction: improving (-17.1%).
Sep2023–2024Latest AQI 46+44%
Sep in Korba averages AQI 46 (Good) in the most recent year, having moved from 32 in 2023. Direction: worsening (+43.8%).
Oct2022–2024Latest AQI 75-13%
Oct in Korba averages AQI 75 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 86 in 2022. Direction: improving (-12.8%).
Nov2023–2024Latest AQI 79+13%
Nov in Korba averages AQI 79 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 70 in 2023. Direction: worsening (+12.9%).
Dec2023–2024Latest AQI 85+35%
Dec in Korba averages AQI 85 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 63 in 2023. Direction: worsening (+34.9%).
Cities with similar (and opposite) seasonal profiles
Ranked by cosine similarity of 12-month AQI signatures across monitored Indian cities.
Similar seasonal profile
Cities whose 12-month AQI signature most closely matches Korba.
Opposite seasonal profile
Cities whose seasonal signature least resembles Korba.
What to do with this information
If you are choosing when to visit Korba or plan outdoor events — marathons, weddings, school sports, outdoor festivals — the CPCB record says July and the two adjacent months are the lowest-risk window. Daily variability still matters; check the live AQI page before committing on any specific date. Sensitive groups should treat January in Korba as an indoor-air-priority month: close windows on high-AQI evenings, run a purifier with a HEPA filter rated for your room size, and reserve outdoor exercise for clear-weather mornings. On days above AQI 300, even healthy adults benefit from well-fitted N95 or KN95 masks for outdoor commutes.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the most polluted month in Korba?
January is the most polluted month in Korba on average, with a long-run AQI of 97 — firmly in the Satisfactory band. This is drawn from 2 CPCB monitoring stations across 3 years of daily readings. Through January, residents should expect elevated PM2.5 and PM10, reduced visibility on cooler mornings, and strong recommendations from doctors to limit outdoor exertion, wear well-fitted N95 masks, and run indoor purifiers through evening and overnight hours when pollutant accumulation typically peaks.
What is the cleanest month to visit Korba?
July is the cleanest month of the year in Korba, averaging AQI 36 in the Good band. The months immediately before and after also tend to sit well below the annual mean of 69, so a visit window centred on July is the safest choice for outdoor sightseeing, marathons, school trips and wedding events. Mornings are usually the crispest time to head out; pollution tends to creep up slightly during the evening commute even in the cleanest months. Always cross-check the day-of live AQI before any high-exertion outdoor plan.
Why does Korba's air spike in January?
Korba shows a clear monsoon-cleansed signature — rain and deeper atmospheric mixing drop AQI to a seasonal trough, and everything else relative to that trough looks elevated. The specific January spike combines pre-monsoon dust, post-rain rebounds and the arrival of cool-season trapping effects.
How bad is Diwali air quality in Korba?
Across the CPCB record, the week around Diwali in Korba averages AQI 84 — 1.09× the normal October baseline of AQI 77, a spike of 7 AQI points. Firework particulates combine with a cooler, more stagnant late-October atmosphere to produce some of the worst air-quality days of the entire year. Sensitive groups should treat Diwali eve and the two days after as peak-alert days: stay indoors, close windows by evening, run purifiers on high, and reserve any outdoor celebrations for daytime hours when mixing is strongest.
Does the monsoon actually clean Korba's air?
Yes — meaningfully. Korba's core monsoon window (Jul 15 – Sep 15) averages AQI 39, a 50% improvement on the annual mean of 78. Rain removes airborne particulates by wet deposition, and the deeper monsoon boundary layer disperses what remains vertically. Across 230 measured monsoon days we see 96.5% in the Good-or-Satisfactory band.
Is Korba's worst season getting worse or better year-on-year?
Between 2022 and 2024, Korba's annual average AQI moved from 86 to 67 — a change of -22.1%. In the most recent year-on-year comparison, the winter season specifically improved by 17.2%. The long-run direction is improving — NCAP policy pressure, cleaner fuels and tighter vehicle standards are showing up.
Which months are safest to visit Korba?
July is the single best month at AQI 36. Based on the 12-month averages, the three cleanest months in Korba are July (AQI 36), August (AQI 37), September (AQI 38). These are the safest choices for outdoor itineraries, long walks, open-air concerts and day-trips. Sensitive groups can treat these months as near-normal activity windows but should still check live AQI for the specific date. Avoid planning outdoor-heavy trips in January, when the baseline jumps into Satisfactory territory.
How does Korba's seasonal pattern compare to other Indian cities?
Korba is classified as monsoon-cleansed. Based on a 12-month cosine-similarity index computed across all monitored Indian cities, the city whose seasonal signature most closely resembles Korba's is Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh), with its own worst month in November. Cities with similar signatures often respond to similar policy levers — if a neighbouring peer has demonstrated improvements through specific interventions (construction-dust controls, bus electrification, brick-kiln regulation), they are likely candidates for Korba too. The peer-city panel on this page lists the closest four additional matches.