Exactly a month after Mumbai recorded the year’s worst Air Quality Index (AQI) of 309 (May 20), which was worse than Delhi’s 191 and was a result of dust storms emanating from the northwest, clean air finally enveloped the city. The AQI has seen a drop for a week now, with the lowest recorded on Monday at 20, thanks to monsoon showers. Air pollution rises with the AQI value.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the week ahead will be cloudy and rainy, with an orange alert for the next two days.
According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), in comparison to Mumbai, on Monday other cities recorded higher AQI levels with Delhi at 106 (moderate), Ahmedabad 54 (satisfactory) and Pune 36 (good). There are six AQI categories, according to SAFAR, namely ‘good’ (0 to 50), ‘satisfactory’ (50 to 99), ‘moderate’ (100 to 199), ‘poor’ (200 to 299), ‘very poor’ (300 to 399), and ‘severe’ (400 to 500).
Each of these categories is decided based on the ambient concentration values of air pollutants and their likely health impact known as health breakpoints. AQ sub-index and health breakpoints include eight pollutants like carcinogenic particulate matter (PM), Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), Sulphur dioxide (SO2), Carbon monoxide (CO), Ozone (O3), Ammonia (NH3), and Lead (Pb). Since 2015, the lowest AQI ever recorded in Mumbai was 12, on September 4, 2019.
According to IMD official Sushma Nair, “The air quality of the city has become good due to the rains, which tend to wash off air pollutants, further bringing down the AQI count.”
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