Mumbai: Mumbai and Navi Mumbai witnessed poor air quality, with a thick layer of haze taking a toll on visibility early on Saturday morning. Mumbaikars have been beset by dense smog since late Friday night, which made it difficult for some citizens to breathe.
The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) for the city was 234 at 3 pm, according to the Central government’s System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) initiative. According to data by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), the AQI around Bandra railway station was 216 at 3 pm; the highest post-Diwali figure so far.
The Asian Age had earlier reported that the city had seen clear skies a day after its encounter with Cyclone Ockhi, with an improved AQI of 43. However, on Saturday Mumbaikars struggled with haze woes with visibility reduced to 50 metres and lower in the morning.
Blurred visibility around the city led to some traffic complaints by citizens but traffic expert Sudhir Badami stated that the streets weren’t congested, as it was a Saturday. “However visibility was poor from buildings,” said Mr Badami.
While there were no disruptions in flight operations, according to Mumbai Airport officials, traffic police officers were seen donning masks at few junctions as a precautionary measure. Vehicles too were spotted with their headlights turned on for indication. While Mumbaikars raised concerns over the haze, comparing it to Delhi’s smog, the MPCB stated that the situation is not as svere and the city is witnessing mostly fog. The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) has attributed the hazy conditions to air pollution.
Andheri’s air was recorded as the most polluted with Pm10 as 170 and Pm2.5 as 308. Navi Mumbai recorded Pm10 as 186 and Pm2.5 as 345, which fall in the ‘very poor’ category. The Pm10 denotes dust pollution, mainly from road and construction work, while Pm 2.5 arises mostly from vehicular pollution.
