AQI improves in Mazagaon as dusty roads are cleaned
MUMBAI: Air quality in Mazagaon, which was worse than Delhi earlier this week, improved on Thursday as roads in the area were cleared of dust and construction material.
The area recorded ‘moderate’ AQI (Air Quality Index) on Thursday as against ‘severe’ levels over the past two days. An on-site engineer from the System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) said Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) workers cleaned the roads of construction material releasing dust into the air.
“Following reports of ‘severe’ air quality, road cleaning work as well as sprinkling of water was carried out on early Thursday morning, which helped improve the air quality,” said Vikram Kadam, engineer from SAFAR.
“We have also informed all under construction buildings to
use cloth to arrest dust in this area so that air quality can be controlled,” said Nitin Arte, assistant municipal commissioner, E ward. The pollutantmeasuring indicator at the SAFAR’S Mazagaon station at Joseph Baptista Garden, Ekta Nagar, Mazagaon, was the most polluted location in the city on Tuesday and Wednesday with ‘severe’ AQI at 432 and 415. But this fell to 183 (moderate) by Thursday evening.
However, SAFAR predicted that AQI at Mazagaon might rise again on Friday with a forecast of 247 (poor).
“While we were informed about steps taken to reduce pollution in Mazagaon, Mumbai’s AQI cannot remain in one category for very long because the city is blessed by sea breeze, which dispersed pollutants on Thursday,” said Gufran Beig, project director, SAFAR.