Mumbai's air quality in 'moderate' category, AQI at 131

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Mumbai's air quality continued to remain in the 'moderate' category on Thursday morning.

The air quality index from 0 to 100 is considered 'good', 100 to 200 'moderate', 200 to 300 'poor', 300 to 400 'very poor' and from 400 to 500 or above 'severe'.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board's SAMEER app, Mumbai's air quality continued to be 'moderate' with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 131 at 9.55 am.

The main causes of air pollution in Mumbai are waste burning, industrial activity, construction dust, and vehicle emissions. These sources emit fine particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) into the atmosphere, which has the ability to enter the lungs deeply and result in heart problems, respiratory disorders, and other health issues.

The SAMEER App dashboard on Wednesday showed Worli's AQI as 108 and Borivali's AQI as 114. Powai's AQI was in 'moderate' category at 112. While Sewri's AQI and Sion's AQI were in the 'moderate' category at 153 and 136, respectively.

Meanwhile, Shivaji Nagar's AQI was in the 'moderate' category at 186.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) in their daily forecast for the city and surrounding areas, said that the sky will remain clear today. The maximum temperature is likely to be around 34 degrees Celsius. While the minimum temperature is likely to be around 21 degrees Celsius.

There are numerous programmes in place to better Mumbai's air quality. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has imposed regulations on vehicle emissions, controlled dust areas at construction sites, and the encouragement of electric vehicles, among other things. The Maharashtra government has also introduced the "Clean Air Action Plan," which aims to cut emissions from different sources.

The air quality of Thane was recorded to be in the 'moderate' category as well with the AQI at 184. Navi Mumbai, according to data collated by SAMEER app, too recorded 'moderate' air quality with AQI at 145. Nerul, located in Navi Mumbai, recorded a good AQI of 91.

Meanwhile, the overall air quality in the national capital continued to hover in the 'very poor' category on Thursday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

As per the CPCB, the AQI at IGI Airport (T3) was recorded in the 'very poor' category at 334 on Thursday morning. The AQI in the New Moti Bagh area was recorded in the 'very poor' category at 343 at 7 am The air quality in Punjabi Bagh was recorded in the 'very poor' category at 405 at 7 am on Thursday.