Mumbai: Mumbai welcomed December with a crisp, pleasant morning on Monday, as clear blue skies and a gentle winter breeze offered residents a refreshing start to the week. Yet beneath this perfect weather lay a worrying reality in the form of a persistent layer of haze and smog that reduced visibility and signalled a sharp deterioration in the city’s air quality.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasted clear skies throughout the day, with maximum temperatures around 31°C and minimum temperatures dipping to 15°C, conditions typical of Mumbai’s winter phase. While the cooler mornings brought some comfort, the reduced visibility and greyish skyline indicated that pollution levels had surged overnight.
This spike in pollution follows a brief period of relief. Heavy rainfall in October had washed away suspended particles and pollutants, offering Mumbaikars a short-lived window of cleaner air and improved horizons. However, once the showers stopped, pollutants quickly accumulated again, undoing the gains and dragging the city back into unhealthy air quality levels in November.
Overall AQI Remains Unhealthy
Data from AQI.in today morning pegged Mumbai’s overall Air Quality Index at 277, placing it in the unhealthy category. This marks a major drop from the moderate readings seen in early November. Residents across several pockets of the city reported eye irritation, a faint burning smell, and visibly hazy skylines, classic signs of heightened PM2.5 levels.
Several Areas Report Severe Air Quality
Some of the worst readings were reported from the city’s industrial and high-traffic zones. Wadala Truck Terminal topped the list with an alarming AQI of 387, entering the severe category. Chembur (335) and Bandra-Kurla Complex (320) also recorded severe levels, while Worli (314) and Deonar (312) continued to struggle with severe pollution conditions.
The suburbs, though relatively better, were still plagued with poor air quality. Govandi and Kandivali East logged AQI readings of 157, placing them in the poor bracket. Areas such as Mulund West (187), Bhandup West (190), and Borivali East (197) remained firmly in the poor category as well. Despite minor differences, most of Mumbai remained enveloped in a blanket of haze, indicating widespread pollution across the metropolitan region.
For context, AQI values from 0–50 are considered Good, 51–100 Moderate, 101–150 Poor, 151–200 Unhealthy, and anything above 200 is labeled Severe or Hazardous.
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