Data submitted by the System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) has shown that Diwali this year was the second cleanest since the agency started monitoring air quality in 2015.
It is said that faster winds and relatively warmer temperatures were helpful in keeping the air cleaner. This is despite the fact that firecrackers were used in some pockets on Saturday as people celebrated Diwali across the city.
This news comes brings a sigh of relief for the authorities as SAFAR had previously predicted that Mumbai may be on the path to its worst post-Diwali air quality this year even with a 50% reduction in the use of firecrackers.
Also read – Reduction In Firecrackers During Diwali May Not Do Enough For Mumbai’s Air Pollution
“Mumbai’s air quality a day after Diwali was found to be better than the forecast made (considering 50% of the average firecracker emissions of past years [2016-2018]). The air quality index (AQI) was in the moderate category. However, there was close to 0% firecracker emission scenario (between Saturday and Sunday). This tends to suggest that there were negligible local additional fire emissions,” the agency’s air quality report read.
Project Director at SAFAR, Gufran Beig said, “This was the best AQI post-Diwali day in the past six years if the 2019 cyclone year is excluded.”
The AQI (air quality index) score for Mumbai on Sunday was 90 which is categorized as satisfactory. However, the AQI reached 115 (moderate) by the evening of November 15 as the use of fireworks witnessed a momentary spike.
Separately, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has said that Mumbai’s AQI on Sunday was 148 (moderate) based on the average readings from 15 monitoring stations across the city.
Read – Mumbai Air Quality Worsens; Western Expressway Most Polluted
Mumbai also scored the best air quality points in comparison to other top cities like Delhi, Pune, and Ahmedabad. While Delhi’s air quality was categorized as ‘severe’, Ahmedabad and Pune had to settle for ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ respectively.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) reportedly received a few complaints of excessive use of fireworks.
A spokesperson for the BMC, Tanaji Kamble said, “While fireworks were used mostly in residential areas between 8pm and 10pm, there was a significant reduction in the number of complaints received by us compared to previous years.”
The concentration of PM2.5, which are harmful pollutants that can cause lung-related ailments, was also measured by the agency. Mumbai witnessed PM2.5 concentrations of 54 micrograms per cubic metre (μg/m3) on Nov 14 while the figure shot up to 62 μg/m3 on Sunday. The recommended safe limit for a 24 hour period is 60 μg/m3.
It’s also worth noting that Chembur was the most polluted region between 11 PM on Saturday and 4 AM on Sunday. The area recorded an AQI score of 257 (poor) while Andheri was in second place at 133 (moderate). However, Bhandup had the cleanest air in the city for this time period at 73 (satisfactory).
Also read – Air Quality Experts Suggest Controlling Humidity And Air Quality To Reduce The Spread Of Coronavirus
Source: https://www.mumbailive.com/en/environment/mumbai-2020-post-diwali-air-quality-said-to-be-the-second-best-in-six-years-57985
