Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai

Mumbai, Jan 13: Mumbai's air quality showed notable improvement on Sunday, with the city's Air Quality Index (AQI) registering a reading of 104, classified as 'satisfactory.' This marks a stark contrast to the polluted conditions of November last year when the AQI fluctuated between 'moderate,' 'poor,' and 'very poor.' Despite the lingering haze, six of the 19 monitoring stations recorded satisfactory air quality, and Kurla even registered a ‘good’ AQI.

However, the majority of stations reported ‘moderate’ air quality, with particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) continuing to be the primary pollutants. The Continuous Air Quality Monitoring System (CAQMS) at Kurla recorded a remarkable AQI of 43, while Shivaji Nagar, which had reported a very poor index last week, showed improvement with a reading of 100.

This improvement in air quality comes after fluctuating AQI readings of 128 on Saturday and a series of challenging months with poor air quality. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), an AQI of 51-100 is considered ‘satisfactory,’ while anything above that is categorized as ‘moderate’ or worse.

Gufran Beig, founder of IITM’s SAFAR and chair professor at NIAS, IISc, attributed the improvement to the rains in Northern India, which have washed away pollutants and brought cleaner winds to the city. “The western disturbance that caused rising temperatures has passed, and Northern India’s rains have helped clear the air,” said Beig.

However, Beig cautioned that the relief may be short-lived. “Once the rains subside in two to three days, temperatures will drop, moisture levels will decrease, and dust particles will once again dominate, pushing AQI back to typical winter levels,” he added.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) reported a maximum temperature of 30.6°C and a minimum of 17.8°C at Santacruz, while Colaba recorded a maximum of 27.9°C, 2.3°C above normal, and a minimum of 20°C.