On Thursday, November 18, Mumbai breathed the cleanest air this season. After three days of witnessing a hazy skyline and high pollutant concentration, the city saw a clear sky. The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) on Thursday was 65 which is "satisfactory" compared to Wednesday when the AQI was at 201.
Even the most polluted localities of the city Colaba and Mazgaon was among the cleanest locations on Thursday. Mazgaon recorded an AQI of 48 (good), and Colaba recorded an AQI of 80 (satisfactory). As per the System of Air Quality Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) forecast, today, November 19, the AQI is likely to be 62.
According to SAFAR, since Monday, November 15, the city's AQI remained between 200 and 300. It falls into the "poor" category. Not only that, on Monday, Mumbai's AQI reached a seasonal high of 245.
Experts, while explaining the worsening AQI in the city, said that it is due to higher concentrations of sea salt (or sodium chloride). It acts as a primary pollutant, consisting of particles that meet the criteria for Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 and PM10. However, it also reacts with other pollutants to create secondary compounds.
They also said that higher the AQI value, the greater the level of air pollution and since November 1, there has been a rise in the city's pollution level.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Mumbai recorded a minimum temperature of 25.2 degrees Celsius compared to Wednesday, when the city experienced its second warmest morning in 10 years when the nighttime temperature touched 26.5 degrees Celsius.
Also read: Residents Of Maharashtra Could Lose 2.5-2.9 Years Of Life Expectancy Due To Air Pollution: Study
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