Mumbai air quality in ‘moderate’ category; AQI at 126

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The overall air quality in the financial capital Mumbai continued to remain in 'moderate' category on Thursday morning, with an air quality index (AQI) of 126, as per the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR-India).

As per the data recorded at 10:00 am on Thursday morning, the air quality at Colaba was recorded in "satisfactory" category with AQI at 77. The air quality in BKC (Kalanagar) continued to remain closer to poor category with AQI at 193.

The Air Quality Index from 0 to 100 is considered as good, while from 100 to 200 it is moderate, from 200 to 300 it is poor, and from 300 to 400 it is said to be very poor and from 400 to 500 or above it is considered as severe.

The Air Quality Index is a tool for effectively communicating air quality status to people in terms that are easy to understand. It transforms complex air quality data of various pollutants into a single number (index value), nomenclature and colour.

On November 21, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has been directed to do cloud seeding if required.

The civic body has already approached a Dubai-based company, which has 100 per cent accuracy in cloud seeding and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed with it, CM Shinde said, according to a report in news wire PTI. "The government and the civic corporation will do whatever they can to reduce Mumbai's pollution. The civic body has been directed to do cloud seeding if required," he said.

CM Shinde was replying to queries by journalists at the Jogger's Park in suburban Bandra during his early morning inspection of various works undertaken in the city as a part of the dust and air pollution control measures.

Also read: Mumbai's air quality persistently 'moderate' on Wednesday; AQI at 128

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday, November 20 said 584 km of roads in 24 civic wards of the metropolis are being regularly washed and cleaned using 121 tankers and other machines to control dust as part of efforts to curb air pollution.

A release from the Chief Minister's Office said he also inspected advanced machines used for the removal of dust on roadsides as well as fogger machines, and also gave necessary instructions to the civic personnel.