Mumbai’s air quality continues to remain ‘moderate’, many areas record ‘poor’ AQI

Thane reported ‘moderate’ air quality with an AQI of 196, while Navi Mumbai reported ‘poor’ air quality with an AQI of 204. The data from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) showed that Chembur recorded ‘very poor’ air quality with an AQI of 307.

The data highlighted that PM 2.5 and PM10 were the most prominent pollutants in Mumbai. Meanwhile, Thane faced a higher prevalence of PM10, and Navi Mumbai encountered challenges from higher levels of both PM 2.5 and PM 10. Despite the overall ‘poor’ categorisation for Navi Mumbai’s AQI, certain areas such as Kopripada, Kalamboli, Mahape, and Taloja reported ‘moderate’ air quality with AQI figures at 194, 178, 159, and 194 respectively.

The decline in Mumbai’s AQI levels post-Diwali drew attention due to a breach of Bombay High Court directives on firecracker bursting on the festive day. Last week, the HC while hearing several petitions on rising pollution in Mumbai directed that firecrackers could only be burst between 8 PM and 10 PM. According to PTI, the Mumbai police took action against 806 individuals, registering 784 cases for violating the court’s directives.

The noise pollution levels also surged during Diwali celebrations. Data collected by the Awaaz Foundation revealed noise levels ranging between 72 and 117 decibels in many areas, significantly surpassing the permissible limits of 50-55 decibels during the day and 40-45 decibels at night in south Mumbai.