Air Pollution Concerns: Mumbai Records Worst AQI Than Delhi

Mumbai experienced a decline in air quality as its air quality index (AQI) stood at 113 on Tuesday. This AQI reading is worse than that of Delhi, which recorded an AQI of 88, indicating a satisfactory level of air pollution.

While Delhi is known for being one of the world's most polluted cities, air quality tends to deteriorate across India, particularly from November onwards. The AQI measures the concentration of carcinogenic particulate matter 2.5 in the air.

On consecutive days, lower wind speeds and increased humidity resulted in a suffocating atmosphere in parts of Mumbai, as a thick smog engulfed the metropolis, according to experts.

Despite the hazy cityscape, caused primarily by emissions from vehicles and the lingering smoke and dust from slums and industrial areas, the overall air pollution level in Mumbai remained at a moderate 113. This was only slightly higher than Monday's reading of 115, which was surpassed by Delhi at 165.

Suburbs in Mumbai, such as Andheri (346), Mazagaon (317), and Navi Mumbai (317), experienced a deterioration in air quality, registering a 'very poor' AQI compared to the previous day. Meanwhile, areas like Chembur and Malad exhibited a 'poor' AQI, with others like BKC, Borivali, Worli, Bhandup, and Colaba falling into the 'moderate' category, reported News18.

Delhi, on the other hand, faced unique weather conditions on Tuesday. The city recorded a high of 26.2 degrees Celsius, seven notches below normal, marking the lowest maximum temperature reported in October this year. Overnight showers in the national capital led to a dip in the minimum temperature, which settled at 17.2 degrees Celsius, two notches below normal in the morning.

Gusty winds accompanied by rain lashed parts of the national capital on Monday night, resulting in 5 mm of rainfall between 8:30 am on Monday and 8:30 am on Tuesday, according to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The humidity stood at 80 percent at 8:30 am on Tuesday, dropping to 68 percent at 5:30 pm.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi showed a reading of 123 at 9 am, falling within the 'moderate' category, which later improved to 88, indicating 'satisfactory' air quality by 8 pm. An AQI between 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 is satisfactory, 101-200 is moderate, 201-300 is poor, 301-400 is very poor, and 401-500 is severe. An AQI above 500 falls into the severe plus category. The weather office predicted a generally cloudy sky for the rest of the day.

On Monday, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 30.5 degrees Celsius, which is three notches below the season's average.

An AQI between 201 and 300 is considered 'poor,' 301-400 is 'very poor,' and 401-500 is 'severe,' while the AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good,' 51-100 is 'satisfactory,' and 101-200 is 'moderate.' The variation in air quality between the two major Indian cities highlights the ongoing concerns regarding air pollution and its impact on public health.

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