Mumbai’s Air Quality Index (AQI) continues to remain in the ‘Very Poor’ category and Mumbaikars are likely to have no relief for the next few days as experts pointed out that this was a result of the second dust storm hitting in the last 15 days, which has even left the scientific community surprised.
The overall AQI of Mumbai on Sunday evening stood at 361 (very poor). Mazagon in south Mumbai recorded AQI of 426 which is in the severe category. Other areas which recorded very poor AQI were Colaba (348), Malad (346), Chembur (316) and Andheri (306)
According to Gufran Beig, Founder Project Director, System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research under IITM-Pune the western part of India is experiencing a very peculiar kind of air quality trend this winter which is very unusual.
“During the last 15 days, a second successive dust storm originated on February 3 from the border areas of Rajasthan, Pakistan and Afghanistan. This coincided with the westerly disturbances due to which upper air trough was formed, which aggravated it and it then entered somewhere near Ahmedabad thus making the air quality of Mumbai and Ahmedabad in the Very Poor category, which in this season is mostly in the moderate category,”
Beig explained that the AQI of Mumbai is likely to continue to remain in the Very Poor category till February 7 because of calm wind and colder conditions are prevailing in Mumbai. “The cause of this particular successive dust storms coming in when the air is very heavy is what is making all of us think about it reasons and we cannot deny the impact of climate change.
A recent analysis of regional air pollution levels, done by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), has pointed out that air pollution is rapidly becoming a matter of concern in the western states of Maharashtra and Gujarat as well.
Winter pollution sets in these states during late December and early January when cooler and calmer conditions trap the local pollution, which is high. "Bad-air days begin to build up in the cities of the western states during the end of December and persist till the end of January. Cities in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region show a more pronounced impact of winter pollution compared to cities of other regions," the CSE analysis report states.
According to the analysis of CSE, Over the years, the air quality in Mumbai seems to be declining. Daily AQI analysis based on the 10 oldest stations shows a 20 per cent drop in the number of good AQI days in the city between 2019 and 2021 -- while days with poor or very poor AQI have doubled.
South Mumbai has the worst air within the city during winter: CSE
In December 2021, the stations in south Mumbai have reported significantly higher PM2.5 levels compared to the rest of the city. Mazgaon with a monthly average of 134 ug/m3 was the most polluted neighbourhood of the city, followed by Navy Nagar-Colaba (124 ug/m3), Kurla (101 ug/m3), Vile Parle West (101 ug/m3) and Worli (97 ug/m3). Khindipada at the edge of Sanjay Gandhi National Park in the suburbs with a monthly average of 54 ug/m3 was the least polluted neighbourhood. Bandra and Malad West reported low numbers, but the values are not considered valid due to significantly large amounts of missing data from these two stations, CSE's report stated.
