AQI drops to ‘poor’ category with smog on seventh day

According to the CPCB, AQI readings of the range 0-50 are regarded as good, 51-100 are regarded as satisfactory, 101-200 is regarded as moderate, 201-300 is regarded as poor, 301-400 is regarded as very poor and above 400 is considered to be severe.

On Sunday, Mumbai recorded a poor AQI for only the second time this year. In recent weeks, although the city experienced smog, the overall AQI remained in the moderate category. Following this, experts and citizen activists expressed concerns about the proper functioning of the AQI monitoring machines.

Experts also attributed the ongoing dip in AQI readings to the current climatic conditions. Gufran Beig, chair-professor of the National Institute of Advance Sciences (NIAS), told The Indian Express that the current drop in AQI is the resultant of multiple dust storms that have developed in the Middle East.

“Dust storms have originated in the borders of Afghanistan, Iran and these dust particles have entered the region around the Arabian Sea — eventually affecting its coastal region, including Mumbai. Satellite images have also shown dust intrusion entering into the sea from Pakistan, Afghanistan towards Mumbai,” Beig told The Indian Express.

“As a result, Mumbai’s air has become heavy due to the presence of pollutants that are leading to formation of a haze, which is reducing the visibility. Probably, the layer of haze that has been formed is sitting quite higher from the ground where the monitoring stations are located, as a result the actual readings couldn’t be read in the system,” Beig added.