Shimla, Himachal Pradesh · Live air quality
We show Shimla's air the moment a fresh CPCB station reports.
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Shimla Air Quality Index (AQI) Today
Live air quality in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh — real-time AQI, dominant pollutant, PM2.5 & PM10 levels and a plain-English health advisory, computed from CPCB data.
We publish a live "safe to go out" answer for Shimla as soon as a fresh CPCB station reading is available.
24-hour AQI graph
We record this city's AQI every hour — the 24-hour intraday graph fills in over the next day as readings accumulate.
7-day AQI trend
We're recording daily readings for this city — the 7-day trend chart fills in over the coming days as history accumulates.
Air quality calendar
A colour-coded calendar of daily air quality builds here as we record each day — check back as the month fills in.
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AQI categories (India scale)
| AQI | Category | Associated health impact |
|---|---|---|
| 0–50 | Good | Air quality is considered satisfactory and air pollution poses little or no risk. |
| 51–100 | Satisfactory | Acceptable air quality; minor breathing discomfort possible for unusually sensitive people. |
| 101–200 | Moderate | May cause breathing discomfort to people with lung disease such as asthma, and to children and older adults. |
| 201–300 | Poor | May cause breathing discomfort to most people on prolonged exposure. |
| 301–400 | Very Poor | May cause respiratory illness on prolonged exposure; effects more pronounced for people with lung and heart disease. |
| 401–500 | Severe | Affects healthy people and seriously impacts those with existing diseases; avoid outdoor activity. |
About air quality in Shimla
This page tracks the Shimla, Himachal Pradesh Air Quality Index using measurements from a Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) monitoring station, published through the Government of India's open-data portal. The AQI is a single number from 0 to 500 that summarises how polluted the air is and what it means for health, built from pollutants such as fine particulate matter (PM2.5), coarse particulate matter (PM10), nitrogen dioxide, ground-level ozone and sulphur dioxide — the index reflects whichever is worst at the time.
How Shimla's air changes through the year
As a North Indian city, Shimla sees the country's sharpest seasonal swing. From roughly late October to February, cool and still air with temperature inversions traps emissions close to the ground, and smoke from post-harvest crop-residue burning in Punjab and Haryana — together with festival-season activity around Diwali — pushes the AQI to its yearly peak. The monsoon (June to September) usually brings the cleanest air as rain washes particulates out, with spring and early autumn sitting in between.
What drives air pollution in Shimla
The main contributors are vehicle exhaust, road and construction dust, industry and power generation, household cooking and heating fuel, and — in the cooler months — seasonal crop-residue burning across the surrounding farmland. Because the region is landlocked, there is little sea breeze to flush pollutants away, so they accumulate night after night during still winter spells.
Best time to visit Shimla for cleaner air
If cleaner air matters for your visit, the smog season from November to January has Shimla's worst air of the year, while the monsoon and the weeks around it, along with spring, are usually far better. Whatever the month, check the live reading on this page before heading out, and pack a well-fitting N95 or FFP2 mask for high-pollution days.
Staying safe in Shimla's air
When the AQI is in the Good or Satisfactory range, outdoor activity is fine for almost everyone. From Moderate upward, sensitive groups — children, older adults, pregnant people and anyone with asthma or heart disease — should pace themselves outdoors, and once the air turns Poor or worse it is sensible for everyone to limit strenuous outdoor exertion, keep windows closed, run an air purifier indoors and wear a well-fitting mask outside. This is general information rather than medical advice. We only display a number when a recent station reading exists — if you see "data updating", we are waiting on a fresh value rather than showing an estimate.
Protect your health — air quality guides
Frequently asked questions
What is the AQI in Shimla today?
We show Shimla's AQI whenever a fresh CPCB station reading is available; live data is updating.
Is it safe to go outside in Shimla today?
We publish a live "safe to go out" answer for Shimla as soon as a fresh CPCB station reading is available.
What is the main pollutant in Shimla?
The dominant pollutant is shown once live data is available.
How is Shimla's AQI calculated?
Each pollutant's 24-hour concentration is converted to a sub-index using CPCB breakpoints; the city AQI is the highest sub-index. See our methodology.