SmogRank / Episodes / India

Eastern India, April 2026

For 3 days, from 23 to 25 April 2026, 14 cities in India had PM2.5 at least twice their usual for the time of year. The worst reading was Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh, India: 145.0 µg/m³ on 25 April, about 2.4× its usual 61.2. Ended 25 April.

No cause namedWe have no fire or smoke records for these days, so we only say what the measurements show.
Cities reached14in 1 country
Days323 to 25 April 2026
Worst day24 April10 cities counted
Furthest above usual5.5×Bihār Sharīf

Day by day

24 April 10 cities at twice their usual or more
AurangābādSasarāmRājgīrRourkelaArrahBuxarPatnaHājīpurKoīraDurenaBhelaiSiwānRairangpurBegusaraiKeonjhargarhSamāstipurMuzaffarpurMungerĀsansolRānīganjMothīhāriPrayagrajBettiahDurgapurBhāgalpurBaripādaSaharsaByasanagarSatnaMaiharSiltaraRaipurCuttackKatiharPurniaBhilaiDurgArāriaShrīrāmpurHaldiaKolkataKishanganjJabalpurLucknowKanpurSiliguriGayaBelpaharBilāspurAngulVaranasiJodaBarbilDera Colliery TownshipSingrauliGorakhpurJājangJhariaChāpraBihār Sharīf
20 Apr2122232425262728
Every measured city in the area, coloured by its PM2.5 that day; a dark ring marks a city at twice its usual or more. Bars: cities counted each day, coloured by their median level. Choose a day or press play; without JavaScript, the days link to that day's world ranking.

How it spread

JodaJoda, 20 April: no readingJoda, 21 April: 79.3 µg/m³Joda, 22 April: 96.1 µg/m³Joda, 23 April: 91.1 µg/m³, 2.2× its usual 41.5Joda, 24 April: 56.9 µg/m³Joda, 25 April: 39.4 µg/m³Joda, 26 April: 36.3 µg/m³Joda, 27 April: 34.1 µg/m³Joda, 28 April: 45.0 µg/m³Dera Colliery Towns…Dera Colliery Township, 20 April: 33.9 µg/m³Dera Colliery Township, 21 April: 49.1 µg/m³Dera Colliery Township, 22 April: 58.6 µg/m³Dera Colliery Township, 23 April: 83.6 µg/m³, 2.4× its usual 34.7Dera Colliery Township, 24 April: 81.4 µg/m³, 2.4× its usual 34.2Dera Colliery Township, 25 April: 33.4 µg/m³Dera Colliery Township, 26 April: 57.3 µg/m³Dera Colliery Township, 27 April: 32.1 µg/m³Dera Colliery Township, 28 April: 39.0 µg/m³JājangJājang, 20 April: 41.1 µg/m³Jājang, 21 April: 44.6 µg/m³Jājang, 22 April: 68.5 µg/m³Jājang, 23 April: 83.4 µg/m³, 2.8× its usual 30.2Jājang, 24 April: 79.8 µg/m³, 2.7× its usual 29.4Jājang, 25 April: 65.9 µg/m³, 2.3× its usual 28.9Jājang, 26 April: 51.3 µg/m³Jājang, 27 April: no readingJājang, 28 April: 38.7 µg/m³BelpaharBelpahar, 20 April: 23.5 µg/m³Belpahar, 21 April: 50.0 µg/m³Belpahar, 22 April: 22.3 µg/m³Belpahar, 23 April: 61.3 µg/m³, 2.0× its usual 30.6Belpahar, 24 April: 64.8 µg/m³, 2.1× its usual 30.4Belpahar, 25 April: 51.3 µg/m³Belpahar, 26 April: 55.4 µg/m³Belpahar, 27 April: 27.0 µg/m³Belpahar, 28 April: 26.6 µg/m³ChāpraChāpra, 20 April: no readingChāpra, 21 April: no readingChāpra, 22 April: 52.2 µg/m³Chāpra, 23 April: 56.0 µg/m³Chāpra, 24 April: 141.0 µg/m³, 4.6× its usual 30.5Chāpra, 25 April: no readingChāpra, 26 April: no readingChāpra, 27 April: 53.0 µg/m³Chāpra, 28 April: 81.9 µg/m³Bihār SharīfBihār Sharīf, 20 April: 35.3 µg/m³Bihār Sharīf, 21 April: 31.4 µg/m³Bihār Sharīf, 22 April: no readingBihār Sharīf, 23 April: 41.7 µg/m³Bihār Sharīf, 24 April: 119.0 µg/m³, 5.5× its usual 21.6Bihār Sharīf, 25 April: 75.1 µg/m³, 3.3× its usual 22.9Bihār Sharīf, 26 April: 23.8 µg/m³Bihār Sharīf, 27 April: no readingBihār Sharīf, 28 April: 24.1 µg/m³GorakhpurGorakhpur, 20 April: 43.4 µg/m³Gorakhpur, 21 April: 88.3 µg/m³Gorakhpur, 22 April: 78.4 µg/m³Gorakhpur, 23 April: 55.9 µg/m³Gorakhpur, 24 April: 117.0 µg/m³, 2.6× its usual 44.9Gorakhpur, 25 April: 78.6 µg/m³Gorakhpur, 26 April: 36.7 µg/m³Gorakhpur, 27 April: 63.6 µg/m³Gorakhpur, 28 April: 33.1 µg/m³JhariaJharia, 20 April: 34.4 µg/m³Jharia, 21 April: 31.6 µg/m³Jharia, 22 April: 50.8 µg/m³Jharia, 23 April: 54.7 µg/m³Jharia, 24 April: 92.3 µg/m³, 2.9× its usual 31.5Jharia, 25 April: 41.5 µg/m³Jharia, 26 April: 38.5 µg/m³Jharia, 27 April: 44.9 µg/m³Jharia, 28 April: 41.0 µg/m³AngulAngul, 20 April: 39.4 µg/m³Angul, 21 April: 46.1 µg/m³Angul, 22 April: 57.6 µg/m³Angul, 23 April: 76.4 µg/m³Angul, 24 April: 88.6 µg/m³, 2.1× its usual 42.2Angul, 25 April: 30.8 µg/m³Angul, 26 April: 23.8 µg/m³Angul, 27 April: 43.7 µg/m³Angul, 28 April: 39.1 µg/m³BarbilBarbil, 20 April: 59.5 µg/m³Barbil, 21 April: 52.3 µg/m³Barbil, 22 April: 69.6 µg/m³Barbil, 23 April: 68.4 µg/m³Barbil, 24 April: 78.7 µg/m³, 2.3× its usual 34.4Barbil, 25 April: 76.9 µg/m³, 2.2× its usual 34.4Barbil, 26 April: 61.2 µg/m³Barbil, 27 April: 50.3 µg/m³Barbil, 28 April: 44.3 µg/m³GayaGaya, 20 April: 56.0 µg/m³Gaya, 21 April: 47.9 µg/m³Gaya, 22 April: 45.2 µg/m³Gaya, 23 April: 60.8 µg/m³Gaya, 24 April: 70.1 µg/m³, 2.0× its usual 34.3Gaya, 25 April: 38.3 µg/m³Gaya, 26 April: 38.4 µg/m³Gaya, 27 April: 33.0 µg/m³Gaya, 28 April: 30.3 µg/m³SingrauliSingrauli, 20 April: 95.4 µg/m³Singrauli, 21 April: 50.1 µg/m³Singrauli, 22 April: 92.5 µg/m³Singrauli, 23 April: 110.0 µg/m³Singrauli, 24 April: 122.0 µg/m³Singrauli, 25 April: 145.0 µg/m³, 2.4× its usual 61.2Singrauli, 26 April: 135.0 µg/m³Singrauli, 27 April: no readingSingrauli, 28 April: 44.1 µg/m³BilāspurBilāspur, 20 April: 54.7 µg/m³Bilāspur, 21 April: 48.4 µg/m³Bilāspur, 22 April: 48.7 µg/m³Bilāspur, 23 April: 54.2 µg/m³Bilāspur, 24 April: 62.3 µg/m³Bilāspur, 25 April: 78.0 µg/m³, 2.1× its usual 37.1Bilāspur, 26 April: 69.7 µg/m³Bilāspur, 27 April: 52.5 µg/m³Bilāspur, 28 April: no readingVaranasiVaranasi, 20 April: 46.1 µg/m³Varanasi, 21 April: 36.4 µg/m³Varanasi, 22 April: 39.9 µg/m³Varanasi, 23 April: 36.4 µg/m³Varanasi, 24 April: 45.4 µg/m³Varanasi, 25 April: 52.8 µg/m³, 2.2× its usual 23.8Varanasi, 26 April: 55.1 µg/m³Varanasi, 27 April: 32.7 µg/m³Varanasi, 28 April: 26.7 µg/m³20 Apr2122232425262728
Every counted city, in the order the episode reached them, 3 days before to 3 after. Each square is a day, coloured by that day's PM2.5; outlined: at twice the city's usual or more.
Good0–50
Moderate51–100
Sensitive groups101–150
Unhealthy151–200
Very unhealthy201–300
Hazardous301+

Every city it reached

CityDaysHighestUsualAbove usual
Bihār SharīfBihar, India2 119.024 April21.65.5×
ChāpraBihar, India1 141.024 April30.54.6×
JhariaJharkhand, India1 92.324 April31.52.9×
JājangOdisha, India3 83.423 April30.22.8×
GorakhpurUttar Pradesh, India1 117.024 April44.92.6×
SingrauliMadhya Pradesh, India1 145.025 April61.22.4×
Dera Colliery TownshipOdisha, India2 83.623 April34.72.4×
BarbilOdisha, India2 78.724 April34.42.3×
JodaOdisha, India1 91.123 April41.52.2×
VaranasiUttar Pradesh, India1 52.825 April23.82.2×
AngulOdisha, India1 88.624 April42.22.1×
BilāspurChhattisgarh, India1 78.025 April37.12.1×
BelpaharOdisha, India2 64.824 April30.42.1×
GayaBihar, India1 70.124 April34.32.0×

Daily means in µg/m³, over the days each city counted in this episode. Highest: its highest of those days. Usual: the city's median for the time of year of that day (its days within 21 days of the date, every year, leaving out the week around it). Above usual: its highest day against that, with a usual under 5 µg/m³ taken as 5.

Against other episodes in India

Number 26 of 61 episodes in India since our records began, by cities reached.

Bars: cities reached; colour: the level of the episode's highest daily reading. All 61.

Use this page

SmogRank, Eastern India, April 2026: 14 cities with PM2.5 at twice their usual or more, 23 to 25 April 2026, smogrank.com/episodes/2026-04-eastern-india (accessed 5 October 2026).

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You're welcome to reuse a single chart, image or figure with this citation and a link. Terms.

An episode is a run of days when many cities close to each other (four or more within 350 km on a day, 8 or more in all) each had a daily PM2.5 mean of at least 25 µg/m³ and at least 2 times their usual for that time of year. Found in our own measurements, not picked by hand. How we find episodes. Values are each city's daily mean of its own monitors; causes are the usual kinds for a pattern like this, not a confirmed source.