Mumbai's air quality continues to remain in 'moderate' category, AQI at 155

File Photo

The skyline in the city remained obscured by a haze of smog, with Mumbai's air quality classified as 'moderate' early on Saturday.

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 155 at 10.45 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 Saturday showed Worli's AQI as 118 and Borivali's AQI as 97. Chembur's AQI was in 'poor' category at 255. While Sion's AQI and Powai's AQI were in the 'moderate' category at 171 and 136, respectively.

Meanwhile, Shivaji Nagar's AQI was in the 'poor' category at 228.

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 33 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.

Navi Mumbai, according to data collated by SAMEER app, recorded 'moderate' air quality with AQI at 187. Nerul, located in Navi Mumbai, recorded a moderate AQI of 138.

Meanwhile, moderate to dense fog was witnessed in parts of Delhi on Saturday morning, even as visibility improved in several areas, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The visibility was 200 metres at Safdarjung, Delhi's main weather station, and 500 metres at Ridge.