Mumbaikars woke up to a thick foggy morning on Monday, February 2. Many parts of the city were covered under a thick blanket of smog. This reduced visibility and caused problems for commuters travelling in the morning.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Mumbai is likely to experience a smoggy atmosphere in the morning hours. The sky looks somewhat clear during the day. The temperature is likely to remain between 23 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.
The temperature pattern has been mostly stable for the past week. However, there are worrying fluctuations in the air quality levels. This has increased concern among health experts as well as citizens.
AQI still at dangerous levels
According to data from AQI.in, Mumbai's overall Air Quality Index (AQI) is currently around 300, which falls in the 'unhealthy' category. Of particular concern is that this pollution is continuously increasing.
Although the overall AQI has remained high for the past three days, the situation has deteriorated in the last 24 hours. The air quality in the city remains in the ‘Poor’ category during the morning hours and improves slightly during the day.
However, the AQI level on Sunday remained consistently between 250 and 310, leaving citizens facing unhealthy air for a long time.
Dust from many construction sites will accumulate in the atmosphere and form particulate matter. Since the wind speed is low in the morning hours, these pollutants do not spread and remain trapped in large parts of the city.
Extremely hazardous levels in some areas
The air quality was recorded at extremely hazardous levels in many parts of the city. Severe pollution was also recorded in areas such as Wadala Truck Terminus (374), Sewri West (371), Swastik Park (359) and Hindu Colony (356).
On the contrary, relatively clean air was found in some limited areas. Gamdevi Station 1 recorded an AQI of 52, which falls in the ‘Good’ category. Thakur Village (170 – Moderate), Hanuman Nagar (197 – Poor) and Vidya Nagari (213 – Unhealthy) areas witnessed varying levels of pollution. However, the levels were above the safe limit at many places.
Kurar Village (170 – Moderate), Hanuman Nagar (197 – Poor) and Vidya Nagari (213 – Unhealthy) areas witnessed varying levels of pollution. However, the levels were above the safe limit at many places.
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