Soon, know your city’s pollution levels up to two days in advance

Mumbaiites will soon be able to track pollution levels in the city up to two days in advance. Scientists at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteoro-logy (IITM), Pune, are developing a chemical weather forecasting facility for six metros, including Mumbai, which will forecast air pollution levels.

Mumbaiites will soon be able to track pollution levels in the city up to two days in advance. Scientists at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteoro-logy (IITM), Pune, are developing a chemical weather forecasting facility for six metros, including Mumbai, which will forecast air pollution levels.

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“Knowing pollution levels in advance will help those sensitive to pollutants postpone outdoor activity. It will also benefit children and elderly whose natural defence against pollutants is weak,” said scientist Gufran Beig, project head, IITM.

The facility, which is being developed for Pune, assumes significance as four independent studies in the past year have concluded that air pollution in Mumbai has risen. Work on the Mumbai project will start next year and is likely to be completed within six months. The forecast will be available on www.safar.tropmet.res.in.

The forecast will take into account weather patterns and emissions from various sources. “The movement of pollutants depends on wind speed and direction. While pollution levels are not high near the source, the diffusion of pollutants increases over regions where the winds weaken,” said Beig.