After two weeks of ‘Poor’ to ‘Very Poor’ air quality, Mumbaikars sighed in relief on Monday as the air quality index (AQI) improved. Areas like Borivali East, Malad West, Byculla, Colaba, Mazgaon, Worli and Bandra among others, which saw the poorest AQI in Mumbai last week, registered ‘Moderate’ to ‘Satisfactory’ AQI on Monday. The weather department attributed the improved air quality to strong winds and decreased moisture.
According to Central Pollution Control Board data, on Monday, the AQI in Byculla was 112, Borivali East was 101, Malad West was 106, Kherwadi-Bandra East was 101, Siddharth Nagar-Worli was 90, Mazgaon was 86, and Colaba was 81. The AQI in these areas on Sunday, December 29, ranged between 200 and 300.
The AQI from 50 to 200 range falls under ‘Moderate to Satisfactory’ category. While, the AQI from 200 to 350 falls under ‘Poor’ to ‘Very Poor’ category.
“Due to calmer winds the dust particles do not settle on the ground and accumulate mid-air leading to deteriorating air quality and poor visibility. However, as the western winds have got stronger and moisture in the air decreased, the AQI of the city has improved,” Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) Mumbai Director, Sunil Kamble said. He also said that the minimum temperature in Mumbai and nearby regions is expected to drop in the next few days.
AQI comparison of Sunday and Monday
According to IMD’s weekly weather forecast, the minimum temperature in Mumbai will range from 16 to 18 degrees Celsius, and the maximum temperature will be around 33 to 34 degrees Celsius. The skies will mainly remain clear.
