The PM 2.5, the easily inhalable particulate matter in the air exceeded the safe limit 60 on the Mumbai Marathon route. | FPJ/ Vijay Gohil
Thousands of Marathoners who participated in Tata Mumbai Marathon on Sunday were exposed to the poor air quality. The PM 2.5, the easily inhalable particulate matter in the air exceeded the safe limit 60 on the Mumbai Marathon route. “At Worli, along the route of the Mumbai Marathon, the average PM 2.5 level on Sunday early morning was 168, with maximum and minimum being 249 and 129 respectively, as per official findings of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The CPCB website continued to display a health impact warning since 5 am when the marathon started,” said environmentalist Sumaira Abdulali from Awaaz Foundation.
Around 65,000 participated in the 20th Tata Mumbai Marathon on Sunday, covering prominent locations in South and Central Mumbai, including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Worli Sea Link, Bandra and Mahim.
The Awaaz Foundation had launched a citizen science initiative to record the AQI levels on the Mumbai Marathon route, 48 hours before the event, warning the citizens of poor AQI and exceeding PM 2.5 levels. However, dismissing the AQI reading by the Awaaz Foundation, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) deployed its own eight air quality monitoring vehicles, claiming Awaaz’s AQI readings do not follow standards set up by CPCB. By Sunday night, the MPCB had yet to share the AQI readings from the eight air quality monitoring vehicles deployed on the Mumbai Marathon route.
“I am glad the MPCB took note of the citizen science project. However, I wonder why the MPCB failed to share the AQI readings from their vehicles even 12 hours after the event,” Abdulali said.
As per CPCB recordings, the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) in Mumbai on Sunday continued to remain under ‘Moderate’ category, however, some areas recorded ‘Poor’ AQI. Some of the areas with the poorest AQI were Chembur (262), Bandra Kurla Complex (255), Byculla (240), Worli (185), Sion (181), Colaba (156) and Chhatrapati Shivaji Intl. Airport T2 (154) among others.
Meanwhile, Mumbai continued to witness extreme weather on Sunday. The Santacruz observatory recorded the maximum temperature at 34.3 degrees Celsius, which was 3.4 degrees Celsius above normal and the minimum temperature was 17 degrees Celsius. While, the Colaba Observatory recorded the maximum temperature at 33 degrees Celsius, which was 2.9 degrees above normal and the minimum temperature at 21.6 degrees Celsius, which was 2.5 degrees above normal.
As per the Indian Meteorological Department weather forecast, the maximum and minimum temperatures in Mumbai city and suburbs will be 35 degrees Celsius and 18 degrees Celsius respectively. The skies remain mainly clear.
