Mumbai: Mumbai residents woke up to a chilly winter morning on Wednesday, greeted by clear blue skies, cool breezes and a noticeable dip in temperatures. The early hours offered a brief sense of freshness and relief, raising hopes of a pleasant day ahead. However, the respite was short-lived as a thick blanket of smog gradually settled over the city, reducing visibility and once again exposing Mumbai’s worsening air pollution crisis.
Despite favourable weather predictions by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), air quality quickly became the city’s biggest concern. The IMD had forecast a bright day, with minimum and maximum temperatures expected to range between 20 degrees Celsius and 33 degrees Celsius. By morning, however, haze was visible across several parts of Mumbai, dampening the promise of a clear winter day.
Overall AQI Remains Unhealthy
According to data from air quality monitoring platform AQI.in, Mumbai’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) touched 286 during the early hours, placing it firmly in the ‘unhealthy’ category. Health experts warned that such pollution levels can pose serious risks, particularly to children, senior citizens and individuals suffering from respiratory or heart-related ailments. Residents were advised to avoid prolonged outdoor exposure and limit physical activity outdoors.
The persistent poor air quality has largely been attributed to dust and fine particulate matter generated by the city’s relentless construction activity. Mumbai is currently witnessing multiple large-scale infrastructure projects, including metro rail corridors, flyovers, coastal road extensions and extensive road-widening works.
Alongside public infrastructure, rapid private real estate development continues to add to the pollutant load. Vehicular emissions, especially during peak traffic hours, further aggravate the situation, making effective air quality management an increasing challenge for civic authorities.
Wadala, Chembur Remain Worst Hit Due To Pollution
Several parts of the city emerged as major pollution hotspots. Wadala Truck Terminal recorded a dangerously high AQI of 362, categorised as ‘severe’ and posing health risks even to otherwise healthy individuals. Chembur followed closely with an AQI of 358, while Bandra recorded 352. Juhu Tara and Govandi also reported alarming AQI levels of 349 and 341 respectively, placing them firmly in the severe pollution bracket.
Suburban areas showed slightly lower pollution levels but remained far from safe. Andheri East and Powai recorded AQI readings of 107 and 177 respectively, both falling under the ‘poor’ category. Kandivali East reported an AQI of 177, while Borivali East and Bhandup West recorded 180 each, indicating that air pollution remains widespread across Mumbai rather than being confined to a few pockets.
As per standard air quality classifications, AQI values between 0 and 50 are considered ‘good’, 51 to 100 ‘moderate’, 101 to 200 ‘poor’, 201 to 300 ‘unhealthy’, while readings above 300 fall under the ‘severe’ or ‘hazardous’ category.
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