‘Very poor’ air engulfs city yet again – Hindustan Times

Mumbai: The air pollution levels in the city remained ‘very poor’ for the fourth consecutive day, with four out of the nine System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) stations recording an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of more than 300 on Sunday evening.

Chembur (348), Colaba (317), Andheri (307) and Malad (304) saw very poor air.

The prevailing pollution levels are due to a slowing down of wind speeds, which is typical for the winter season. “Over the last two months, there have been unprecedented changes in the weather scenario. Owing to the phenomenon of La Nina (cold ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific), India has been experiencing and will continue to experience an unusually cooler and extended winter,” said Gufran Beig, project director, SAFAR.

In addition to this, he added, the western part of India is influenced by the warming of the Mediterranean Sea. As a result, there are calm winds across the Mumbai region and surrounding parts of western India.

“This has ensured that the dispersion of air pollutants being emitted from pollution-related activities does not happen swiftly despite Mumbai being surrounded by the ocean,” said Beig.

However, officials at the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) regional forecasting centre in Mumbai said they anticipate an increase in morning temperatures over the next few days, along with a slight increase in wind speeds, which should mitigate pollution levels. As per SAFAR, the forecasted AQI for Mumbai on Monday is 283, in the ‘poor’ category.

According to SAFAR, AQI in the ‘very poor’ category triggers health alerts and a significant increase in respiratory problems. The SAFAR health advisory for the ‘very poor’ category read that everyone should reduce heavy exertion.