Mumbai records ‘Very Poor’ air as AQI touches 322, Delhi’s best October day in a decade

New Delhi: Mumbai recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 322 on Saturday. The ‘Very Poor’ quality air prevalent in the city, led to several people complaining about health complications, like breathing difficulties.

Meanwhile, Delhi, usually known for pollution and bad air days, recorded and AQI of 176. This meant that the AQI was ‘Moderate’ in Delhi and it was also the best October 24 air quality recorded for the city in the past decade, according to a report in NDTV. This ‘moderate’ air was a result of “aggressive anti-pollution measures” in the national capital, said the report.

Talking about Mumbai, the spike in pollution in the city was mostly driven by a combination of factors like construction dust, sluggish wind speed, garbage burning, emissions from crop fires in surrounding regions, and residual smoke from firecrackers.

Following the thick layer of haze and smoke which blanketed Mumbai, several people complained of headaches, sore throat and eye irritation. Doctors advised that people stay mostly indoors, especially the vulnerable groups like the children and the elderly.

Talking about the poor air quality in the city, Mumbai civic officials said that several factors had converged to push the AQI in the ‘Very Poor’ category. Even the Bombay High Court took note of the worsening air quality in the city. They directed the concerned officials to take immediate measures to curb pollution. They said that proper enforcement measures must be undertaken against polluting activities in Mumbai.

Apart from the High Court, the environmental activists and the citizens of Mumbai have also called for stricter measures. They said that there should be proper monitoring of construction activities in the city, a complete ban on garbage burning and also better coordination to control regional emissions.

Delhi’s AQI best in last 10 years

Meanwhile, Delhi, which is known for pollution, presented a contrasting picture on October 24. The AQI in the national capital was recorded at 176, which was in the ‘Moderate Category’. This is unusual compared to previous years, as the AQI begins to deteriorate in Delhi during this period, usually due to crop burning in neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana.

Officials have credited the improvement in air quality to efforts launched in “war mode” to curb pollution. These measures include, continuous road sweeping, removal of construction and municipal waste, and extensive water sprinkling on roads and dust-prone areas.

Delhi’s environment department said that coordinated efforts by the civic department, along with measures like use of technology to identify pollution hotspots, had helped keep the particulate matter under check.

However, authorities also had a word of caution for residents. They said that the situation might change with the onset of winters and as stubble burning intensifies in neighbouring states, like Punjab and Haryana.

Experts further said that Delhi’s temporary improvement signals that better coordination and control measures, might help improve air quality. However, the deterioration of AQI in Mumbai, points to the fact that even coastal cities known traditionally for better AQI are vulnerable. There needs to be year-round measures to keep pollution in check.

In both cities, environmental experts and citizens are pushing for better and consistent enforcement of environmental norms.