Mumbai witnesses 'Moderate' Level Air Quality

As the winter approaches the city, it has come to light that the air quality worsens from satisfactory to moderate in the South Bombay (SoBo) - Wadala and Chembur.

According to latest report by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR)-India, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Mumbai is presently at 120 (overall) in the 'moderate' category as on December 15.

Maharashtra: Air Quality Index (AQI) in Mumbai is presently at 120 (overall) in the 'moderate' category, as per System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR)-India.

Visuals from Chembur and Wadala areas. pic.twitter.com/fASsN60lrF

— ANI (@ANI) December 15, 2021

Meanwhile, according to a report, India has nine of the 10 most polluted cities in the world but with 200 particulate matter (PM) 2.5 monitoring sites in operation during the 2010-2016 period.

Also Read: Residents Of Maharashtra Could Lose 2.5-2.9 Years Of Life Expectancy Due To Air Pollution: Study

India's six megacities (Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi) need at least 23 to 44 air quality monitoring stations each, while the existing number of stations range between nine and 12 [excluding Delhi].

Earlier this month, Mumbaikars witnessed unseasonal rains, which helped in improving Mumbai's Air Quality Index (AQI). With this, the AQI reached a "satisfactory" level at 78.

Moreover, last month too, Mumbai had reported poor AQI, especially in BKC, Colaba and Mazgaon.

Besides, as per Air Quality Index (AQI), Mumbai has the highest concentration of Particulate Matter (PM) PM10 among the 24 major cities of peninsular India.

Over the last few years, the particulate concentration in the city saw a surge. It has made Mumbai the most polluted city out of the three prominent coastal cities. The other cities are Kolkata and Chennai.

However, on 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.