Mumbai is experiencing unhealthy air pollution today, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching around 178 at 10:00 a.m, indicating "unhealthy air quality", according to Air Quality Index (AQI) website.
The primary pollutants contributing to this include PM10, with levels around 126.07 µg/m³, and PM2.5 at about 63.1 µg/m³, which are both harmful particulate matters that affect respiratory health, according to IQ Air website.
PM10 and PM2.5 refer to tiny particles suspended in the air that contribute to pollution and pose health risks. The numbers indicate their size in micrometers (µm): PM10 particles are those with a diameter smaller than 10 µm, while PM2.5 are finer particles with a diameter smaller than 2.5 µm.
As PM2.5 particles are smaller, they can penetrate deeper into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream, causing more serious health issues such as respiratory and cardiovascular problems.
| Location | AQI | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dosti Acres | 219 | Severe | |
| Bhoiwada | 212 | Severe | |
| Wadala Truck Terminal | 209 | Severe | |
| "BS Ambedkar Nagar | Chembur" | 194 | Unhealthy |
| "Navy Nagar | Colaba" | 189 | Unhealthy |
| Deonar | 188 | Unhealthy | |
| Bandra Kurla Complex | 187 | Unhealthy | |
| Malad | 187 | Unhealthy | |
| Kurla | 185 | Unhealthy | |
| Mazgaon | 184 | Unhealthy | |
Mumbai AQI Improves
According to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Mumbai's air quality has shown a marked improvement since November 26, owing to multiple pollution-control measures in the city and its suburbs.
The civic body, on Dec 1, said 264 among the 482 construction projects have been served 'stop-work' notices.
The BMC, in a press release, also clarified that the Graded Response Action Plan Stage-4 (GRAP-4), a set of tough restrictions aimed at curbing air pollution, does not apply to Mumbai at present, though intensified monitoring has been instructed.
Municipal commissioner and BMC administrator Bhushan Gagrani has directed officials to continue taking strict action against private construction sites as well as government and non-government projects that violate the civic body's 28-point dust and pollution-mitigation guidelines, according to a release.
The BMC said the improved wind speed, along with enforcement measures such as notices to errant construction projects, misting, water sprinkling, road-washing, awareness drives, and moves by bakeries and crematoria to shift to cleaner fuels, have contributed to the improvement in AQI (Air Quality Index) over the past 48 hours.
The BMC has formed 94 ward-level flying squads to oversee the implementation of pollution mitigation measures. These teams are inspecting private sites as well as road and metro project stretches, issuing stop-work notices wherever violations are detected.
The squads are also checking sensor-based AQI monitoring equipment at construction locations, the release claimed.
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