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It’s Mumbai Vs Delhi once more! but this time in terms of the amount of pollutants. Delhi has frequently made headlines due to air pollution worries, but it appears that Mumbai has surpassed the national capital in this regard as well, with certain regions having AQI readings exceeding 300.
At 9 am, according to data from the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research, Mumbai’s air quality was rated as “moderate,” with an air quality index (AQI) of 113. In contrast to Mumbai, the national capital’s air quality is now in the “satisfactory” category, according to SAFAR, with an overall AQI of 83.
After monitoring the air quality at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) region, which was reported at a ‘very low’ level, a health alert was issued in response to the deteriorating air quality.
The warning said that “Everyone may experience pain. Long-term exposure to the outdoors must be avoided since it may cause respiratory problems. Additionally, it urged people to use compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered automobiles to help reduce air pollution.
Residents of the city posted pictures and videos of the smoggy conditions Mumbai is now experiencing on social media. Concerns were raised by a user after seeing a skyline that was hidden in a video taken from the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. “What is happening to Mumbai?” they penned. When you can’t see any buildings from the Sea Link, you know something is wrong! The level of smog in this metropolis is horrifying; perhaps we should stop building or limit the number of vehicles on the road.
Air Quality Index of Mumbai
At Kalanagar in the Bandra Kurla neighborhood, the air quality reached 178 on the Mumbai Air Quality Index. Areas like Worli, Bhandup, and Borivali had moderate air quality, with AQI readings of 139, 131, and 135 respectively. According to CPCB statistics, Deonar and Chembur both had ‘bad’ air quality readings of 216 and 213, respectively.
Mumbai’s air quality was generally categorized as “moderate,” although certain regions also had “very poor” air. According to SAFAR 9 am statistics, the AQI in Andheri was 346, in Navi Mumbai it was 311, and in Mazgaon it was 307. According to statistics from the Central Pollution Control Board, Vile Parle West had an AQI of 331 and Chakala Andheri East had an AQI of 343 respectively.
What are the Reasons of Increasing Air Pollution
Since the pandemic, when a lot of people died from a virus because their weakened respiratory systems couldn’t withstand the strain, emissions and pollution have become a more urgent worry. Studies also revealed a substantial correlation between COVID-19 cases and district-level air pollution statistics during the second wave, with more instances occurring in areas that use more fossil fuels.
Even while we often believe that infections and questionable lifestyle decisions were the cause of respiratory ailments, harmful particulates present in modern air provide a bigger risk than smoking.
Since the preponderance of data revealing the problem’s importance comes from the landlocked cities in north India, air pollution can no longer be disregarded as a regional issue. Instead, the issue has to be resolved before to becoming a public health emergency.
Due to its extensive industrial footprint and heavy reliance on fossil fuels, the Mumbai region provides a significant portion of western India’s airshed. The Maharashtra government is strongly encouraged to shoulder a large portion of the burden of decreasing emissions for Mumbai due to the city’s financial strength, easy access to resources, and substantial population.
Mumbai’s health is seriously threatened by air pollution, which kills 13 people globally every minute and will cost US $2.9 billion and result in 20,000 fatalities in 2020–21, according to the Swiss air quality organization IQAir.
The effects of air pollution on the people
Due to the fog this morning, Mumbai’s local trains were also 15 minutes late beyond Kalyan, which is part of the Central Railway (CR) network, according to a railway official quoted by news agency PTI. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus-Kasara (from south Mumbai to Thane) and CSMT-Khopoli (from south Mumbai to Raigad) are the locations of CR’s main line service.
According to Central Railway’s principal public relations officer, Doctors, the foggy weather was observed between Vashind and Titwala (in the Thane district, which borders Mumbai), from 6.30 am to 9 am, and between Karjat (in the Raigad district) and Badlapur (Thane), from 5.30 am to 9 am.
According to doctors, prolonged exposure to pollutants would have an adverse effect on lung function. With each infectious or non-infectious exacerbation, the lung function gradually declines. Chronic pollution exposure may result in the development of chronic bronchitis, which can result in heart conditions and raise the risk of stroke and cancer.
