Mumbai chokes yet again; AQI hits 300

Out of the nine monitoring stations of SAFAR in the city, five recorded ‘very poor’ quality air

MUMBAI: The city, on Monday, was surrounded by a thick blanket of smog, which was not just a weather phenomenon but a result of severe air pollution. The air quality index in many parts of Mumbai dropped to a ‘very poor’ level and crossed the 300-mark, according to the System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) network of monitoring stations.

When the AQI level is 200 to 300, it is considered ‘poor’ and if it is above 300 it is considered ‘very poor.’

AQI remained ‘very poor’ throughout the day at Mazgaon (342) Colaba (336), Malad (321), Chembur (319) and Bandra Kurla Complex (313).

The air quality levels in the city have been on the decline for the past few days, which officials had attributed to the ongoing meteorological systems. However, they say that the situation is further exacerbated by human activities including construction, burning of firewood for warmth and burning municipal or other waste.

“Mumbai is blessed to have winds coming in from western and southwestern directions at different times of the year,” said Rakesh Kumar, former director, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI). However, during winter, the wind direction starts changing to north and northeast directions, which slows the wind-down, he added. This means that all the pollution that would otherwise be blown away by the winds is being held within them.

Lack of wind flow, as well as sunlight during winters, aid the accumulation of particulate matter in the air that cause low visibility, said Kumar.

Kumar also said that the presence of very tall structures in the city also creates what is called an urban tunnel which prevents the flow of the wind between these high-rises.

Dr Salil Bendre, head of chest medicine at Nanavati Max Super Specialty Hospital said that while industrial and vehicular pollution is stagnant throughout the year, the decline in AQI observed during the winter season aggravates asthma, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) and other respiratory disorders.

“Unfortunately, since the winters begin soon after Diwali, individuals with respiratory distress who are still reeling with poor air quality due to firecrackers need to take additional precautions,” he added.

Bendre said cold climates don’t allow particulate matter and carbon monoxide – two most harmful substances – to escape into the upper atmosphere.

Aaditya Thackeray

Chembur-based businessman Harshad Shah shared that his wife is suffering from breathing difficulty for the last couple of days which makes her unable to do any work around the house. “There is metro construction work going on very close to my house at Chembur naka. It not only creates a lot of dust pollution but also leads to a traffic jam,” he said.

He added that, for a couple of days, from the windows of his eighth-floor office in Dadar, he can only see smog.