Mumbai: This weekend, it will be safe to be outdoors in the city. The air quality index in Mumbai is likely to be ‘good’, according to the System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR). For the next two days, the air quality index (AQI) in Mumbai is likely to fall under the ‘good’ category, according to the System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR). On Friday, the city recorded an AQI of 69, which is ‘good’, making it the third cleanest air day. On April 18, when AQI levels fell to 71 (satisfactory), the city recorded its first cleanest air day.
“The moisture levels were high in Mumbai, which reduced the pollutant-carrying capacity of the air and high-speed sea breezes helped disperse the pollutants,” said an official. Nine out of 10 locations recorded ‘good’ or ‘satisfactory’ air quality in the city. However, the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) was the most polluted, with an AQI of 294, which is ‘poor’. Researchers from SAFAR said a combination of factors had led to clean air across north, northwest and western India. “We need to check specific issues for the BKC’s pollution levels, but attribute the bad air quality to traffic congestion close to the monitoring site,” said a researcher.
Meanwhile, temperatures across the city were near normal, with the Santacruz observatory recording a maximum temperature of 33.5 degrees Celsius and the Colaba observatory recording 32.4 degrees Celsius. “Westerly winds or sea breezes have been setting in at the right time over the past three days. Temperatures are near the normal mark owing to partly cloudy conditions during the day and cool breezes in the afternoon,” said an official from the Indian Meteorological Department.
