MUMBAI: With the onset of monsoon, Mumbaikars are breathing probably the healthiest air. On Friday, the city’s air quality index (AQI) touched probably the best mark since the lockdown years.
The System of Air Quality-Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), and country’s air quality monitoring service by the ministry of earth sciences, suggested that Mumbai’s AQI on Friday was at 10, considered the best ever as of today.
During the lockdown years, the AQI had touched 12-mark.
AQI, the measure of concentration of carcinogenic particulate matter (PM 2.5 micron per cubic meter) in air, that falls between the range of zero and 50 is considered as ‘good’ with no health risk at all.
On Friday, Pune, Ahmedabad experienced an AQI level between 0 and 50, considered as good, while Delhi was 65 considered as satisfactory.
Interestingly, since January last week Mumbai witnessed three successive dust storms from beyond Pakistan till February end which had escalated the AQI level to very poor and severe levels (from 300 to 500) as even the national capital, considered as a highly polluted city of the country, lagged behind Mumbai.
According to friday’s forecast by SAFAR, Mumbai’s AQI is likely to remain ‘good’ for another two days.
Normally during monsoon the combination of high moisture, low wind speed and humidity forces the city’s rising smoke and dust to hang in the air, making Mumbai’s overall air quality very poor. However heavy sea breez and rains have made the air clean.
Vehicular pollution, dust, smoke from garbage burning and industries mainly contribute to the pollution in Mumbai. Conversion of vehicles to greener fuels, power generation through greener modes and pollution-free garbage disposal will be the solutions to reach net-zero pollution goals, say experts.
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