Mumbai's air quality has once again taken a beating. On Sunday (December 22), Mumbai recorded Air Quality Index (AQI) of 208, which falls under the "poor" quality. Sunday was the second consecutive day, on which the air quality in Mumbai ranked in the ‘poor’ category. According to the experts, the dip in minimum and maximum temperatures has been a key factor for the decrease in air quality.
“With the onset of winter, air quality has begun to deteriorate. As winter sets in, PM concentration in the air will rise, as lower temperatures cause pollutants to get trapped closer to the Earth’s surface, leading to an increase in the pollution levels,” said an official from the System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) told FPJ.
On Sunday, Mumbai recorded the maximum temperature at 31.5 degree Celsius, while the Santacruz observatory recorded the minimum temperature at 21.1 degree Celsius.
On the other hand, an official from the Indian Meteorological Department pointed out that the haze is a result of the moisture acting on the dry Northerly winds along with pollution. He added that the pollutants are trapped in the surface air making the AQI rise.
While air quality continues to be a bother, IMD has predicted that Mumbai and its surrounding regions may witness very light to light rainfall on December 25.
Partial cloudiness over Mumbai and around extending interiors today. Light rain expected in parts of Maharashtra over North Pune, adjoining parts of Ahmednagar,” said K.S. Hosalikar, deputy director-general, IMD.
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