Pune Air Quality Turns Poor Again as AQI Touches 215; Hadapsar Records ‘Very Poor’ Levels

Pune, 14th December 2025: For the third time since the beginning of December, Pune recorded ‘poor’ air quality, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) touching 215 on Sunday. According to data from the SAMEER app, managed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Hadapsar emerged as the most polluted area in the city, recording an AQI of 303, which falls in the ‘very poor’ category.

Other monitoring stations reporting high pollution levels included Bhumkar Nagar (291), Revenue Colony in Shivajinagar (251), and Mahada Colony in Lohegaon (224), all indicating ‘poor’ air quality. In the remaining parts of the city, AQI levels remained below 200.

With the deterioration in air quality, the Air Quality Early Warning Decision Support System developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) issued an advisory for sensitive groups. The advisory recommends reducing prolonged or heavy physical exertion, taking frequent breaks, and opting for less strenuous activities. Asthma patients have been advised to keep medication handy if symptoms such as coughing or shortness of breath occur. Heart patients are advised to consult a doctor if they experience palpitations, breathlessness, or unusual fatigue. Even healthy individuals have been cautioned to remain alert to signs of unusual fatigue.

Notably, the decline in air quality coincided with a gradual rise in minimum temperatures, contrary to the common perception that pollution levels worsen during extreme cold conditions. Pune had recorded the season’s lowest minimum temperatures earlier this month, which have since begun to increase.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Pune recorded a minimum temperature of 9.4 degrees Celsius on Sunday, December 15, one degree higher than the 8.8 degrees Celsius recorded on December 14. Within the district, Haveli recorded the lowest minimum temperature at 7.3 degrees Celsius. Other stations reporting single-digit temperatures included Pashan (9.2 degrees), Baramati (9.3 degrees), and Talegaon (9.7 degrees).

Weather experts said minimum temperatures in Pune are likely to remain in single digits until December 16, after which a gradual rise is expected due to the increasing influence of easterly winds.