Mumbai breathes easier, Santacruz hottest in state

Mumbaikars enjoyed improved air quality due to weather changes and halted construction, with AQI dropping to 119 and temperatures rising to 34.8°C.

MUMBAI: Mumbai’s air quality improved significantly on Thursday due to a sudden shift in weather conditions and in part due to a temporary halt in construction activity. A sudden rise in temperature also saw Santacruz registering as the hottest place in the state.

Mumbai breathes easier, Santacruz hottest in state

The Air Quality Index (AQI) was 119 compared 126 on Wednesday. Of the 30 air quality monitoring stations across Mumbai, 17 registered ‘moderate’ levels (101 – 200), while six stations recorded ‘satisfactory’ levels (51 – 100).

On December 30, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) halted public and private construction projects in Byculla and Borivali East, where the AQI was ‘poor’. The figures for these areas dropped to ‘moderate’ on Thursday, at 134 and 115 respectively. The BMC, which had also issued stop-work notices elsewhere in the city, said work would resume only after the air quality was checked. A BMC official from the environment department said this action had contributed to the dip in AQI levels.

However, a sudden shift in the weather has led to a marked improvement in air quality. According to Sunil Kamble, director, Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Mumbai, moderate easterly winds have begun to blow in from the hinterland, dispersing suspended dust particles and clearing the air. “Earlier, westerly winds blew in from the Arabian Sea, bringing in dust and moisture, which had caused haze. Now easterly winds are blowing dust back over the sea,” Kamble said.

As for temperatures, according to the IMD, Santacruz recorded the highest temperature of 34.8 degrees Celsius in the state on Thursday. This was 4 degrees above normal. Minimum temperature was 19 degrees Celsius, or 2.2 degrees above normal.

In Colaba, the IMD recorded a maximum temperature of 33.3 degrees Celsius and minimum temperature of 21.4 degrees Celsius on Thursday, that is, 2.9 degrees and 1.9 degrees above normal, respectively.

“For the next few days, Mumbai will get warmer, with maximum temperature ranging between 33 and 35 degrees Celsius, and minimum temperature between 19 and 20 degrees Celsius. From January 4, temperatures will dip due another western disturbance,” said Sushma Nair, scientist at IMD.