Mumbai: Mumbai woke up to a brief spell of winter charm on Friday, with cool breezes, clear blue skies and a noticeable dip in temperatures bringing momentary relief to residents. The early morning hours felt crisp and pleasant, raising hopes of a comfortable day ahead in the otherwise humid metropolis. However, the sense of respite proved short-lived as a thick layer of smog gradually settled over the city, reducing visibility and showing Mumbai’s worsening air pollution problem.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had forecast a bright and pleasant day, with temperatures expected to range between 20 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius. While weather conditions remained favourable, air quality quickly emerged as the city’s most pressing concern. By morning, haze was visible across several parts of Mumbai, dampening the initial optimism sparked by the cool start.
Overall AQI Remains Unhealthy
Data from air quality monitoring platform AQI.in showed that Mumbai’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) touched 204 in the early hours, placing it in the ‘unhealthy’ category. Health experts cautioned that prolonged exposure to such pollution levels can have serious health consequences, particularly for children, senior citizens and individuals with respiratory or cardiac conditions. Residents were advised to minimise outdoor activities and avoid prolonged exposure to polluted air.
AQI.in
The deteriorating air quality has largely been attributed to dust and fine particulate matter released by widespread construction activity across the city. Mumbai is currently witnessing multiple large-scale infrastructure projects, including metro rail corridors, flyovers, coastal road extensions and extensive road-widening works.
Alongside these public projects, rapid private real estate development continues to add to the pollution load. Vehicular emissions, especially during peak traffic hours, further exacerbate the situation, posing a major challenge for civic authorities tasked with managing air quality.
Chembur, Wadala Emerge As Pollution Hotspots
Several areas in the city emerged as major pollution hotspots. Chembur recorded a dangerously high AQI of 342, placing it in the ‘severe’ category where health risks extend even to otherwise healthy individuals. Wadala East followed closely with an AQI of 327, while Wadala West reported 320. Sewri and Kurla also registered alarming AQI levels of 308 and 306 respectively, firmly within the severe pollution bracket.
Suburban areas fared relatively better but were far from pollution-free. Andheri East reported ‘good’ air quality with an AQI of 48, while Bandra West and Kandivali East recorded AQI readings of 83 each, categorised as ‘moderate’. Santacruz East registered 87 and Jogeshwari touched 100, indicating that moderate air pollution remains widespread rather than restricted to specific pockets of the city.
As per standard classifications, AQI levels between 0 and 50 are considered ‘good’, 51 to 100 ‘moderate’, 101 to 200 ‘poor’, 201 to 300 ‘unhealthy’, and readings above 300 fall under the ‘severe’ or ‘hazardous’ category, levels Mumbai continues to breach with worrying regularity.
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