Mumbai Pollution: City witnesses better air days

Mumbai: Residents of Mumbai got a reprieve from the smog, with the air quality in the city in the moderate category on Thursday and Friday. This is a huge relief for the citizens who had suffered poor and very poor air quality since the first week of December.

The rise in the minimum temperature recorded in the city and the anti-cyclonic circulation moving away are the factors that have led the improvement in air quality, according to experts.

The reversal of winds, which takes place every 4-5 days, had been delayed this time because of an anti-cyclonic circulation that has now moved away, said Dr Gufran Beig, founder and Project Director, System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research. Clean air has started blowing across the city after almost 15 days, with the pollutants in the air being carried away.

The minimum temperature of the city has also increased by 3-4 degrees Celsius compared to the expected minimum temperature of 20 degrees Celsius, according to the India Metrological Department.

Mumbai recorded 26 days in ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ categories of air quality during November 1 and December 16.

During the same period in 2021, the number of days with poor air quality was six and on no day did the air quality drop to the very poor category. Malad, Chembur, and Mazgaon were the three most polluted areas in Mumbai, while Borivali, Navi Mumbai, and Worli had the cleanest air during this period.

An Air Quality Index between 101 and 200 is considered moderate, 201 and 300 poor, 301 and 400 very poor, and 401 and 500 severe.

On Friday, the average minimum temperature in Mumbai was 23 degrees Celsius and the maximum was 35 degrees Celsius, with relative humidity between 70% and 80%.