On Tuesday, November 16, Mumbai's Air Quality Index (AQI) worsened, as per the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the city recorded an AQI of 280. According to the Central Pollution Control Board's classification, with this reading, Mumbai's air quality has entered the "poor" category.
On Tuesday afternoon, Mumbai's air was the sixth most polluted across major cities globally, as per the data from IQ Air, a Swiss air quality technology and monitoring company. New Delhi recorded the worst AQI, while Kolkata was the other Indian city positioned at No. 8.
IQ Air has its own set of guidelines that are laid down by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). According to IQ Air, Mumbai has recorded an AQI of 166.
Experts, while commenting on the worsening air quality, said that the pollution has increased in the past two days, especially particulate matter (PM) pollutants. It is due to moisture coming in as a result of a low-pressure area in the Arabian Sea off Maharashtra's coast.
On Monday, November 15, Mumbai's AQI reached a seasonal high of 245, with Mazagaon, Malad and Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) recording a "very poor" air quality.
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