Mumbai: Mumbai began Wednesday on a cool and relatively crisp note, giving residents a fleeting taste of winter comfort. Clear skies and a noticeable drop in humidity offered early morning relief, but
the pleasant conditions did not last long. As the day progressed, a thin blanket of smog settled over the city, reducing visibility and once again drawing attention to Mumbai’s deepening air pollution problem.
Despite favourable weather predictions, air quality quickly emerged as the city’s primary concern. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had forecast a bright and comfortable day, with temperatures expected to range between 19°C and 34°C. However, people stepping out early, including office-goers, morning walkers and school children, were met with hazy surroundings and a strong, acrid smell in the air, especially in traffic-heavy and low-lying areas.
AQI Slips Back To Unhealhty Category
According to data from the air quality monitoring platform AQI.in, Mumbai’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 265 in the early hours, placing it in the ‘unhealthy’ category. After a brief improvement in recent weeks, pollution levels have once again deteriorated. Such AQI levels pose risks to everyone, but are particularly dangerous for children, senior citizens and individuals with respiratory or heart conditions.
The construction dust and fine particulate matter as major contributors to the pollution surge. Ongoing government infrastructure projects, including metro rail corridors, flyovers, coastal road extensions and large-scale road-widening works, combined with aggressive private real estate development, are releasing massive amounts of dust into the air. Vehicular emissions during peak traffic hours are further worsening the situation.
Several parts of the city emerged as severe pollution hotspots. The Wadala Truck Terminal recorded an alarming AQI of 425, categorised as ‘hazardous’, indicating conditions that can seriously affect even healthy individuals. Vashi and Bandra followed with AQI readings of 353 and 318 respectively, both in the ‘severe’ range. Chembur reported an AQI of 313, while Mazgaon, a busy commercial and residential area, registered 311.
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While suburban regions showed slightly better readings, pollution remained widespread. Kandivali East recorded an AQI of 170 and Goregaon East stood at 190, both classified as ‘poor’. Areas such as Borivali West (110), Malad West (123) and Parel-Bhoiwada (127) also slipped into the poor category.
For reference, AQI levels between 0–50 are considered good, 51–100 moderate, 101–150 poor, 151–200 unhealthy, and above 200 hazardous. With large parts of Mumbai hovering at or beyond unhealthy levels, concerns are mounting over long-term health impacts as winter advances and pollution episodes become more frequent.
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