Mumbai's air quality in 'moderate' category, AQI at 141

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Mumbai's air quality continued to remain in the 'moderate' category on Monday morning.

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 141 at 11 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 Monday showed Worli's AQI as 68 and Borivali's AQI as 84. Bandra Kurla Complex's AQI was in 'poor' category at 209. While Powai's AQI and Mazgaon's AQI were in the 'moderate' category at 119 and 107, respectively.

Meanwhile, Colaba's AQI was in the 'moderate' category at 105.

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 34 degrees Celsius. While the minimum temperature is likely to be around 18 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 157. Nerul, located in Navi Mumbai, recorded a moderate AQI of 131.

Meanwhile, it was a cold Christmas morning in the national capital on Monday as a thick layer of fog covered the city while the air quality improved from the "severe" to the "very poor" category.

The minimum temperature settled at 9.4 degrees Celsius, the India Meteorological Department said. The relative humidity at 8.30 am stood at 100 per cent.

Delhi's air quality index (AQI) showed minor improvement on Monday morning. The AQI at 9.05 am stood at 393. The 24-hour AQI was 411 on Sunday.