Mumbai's air quality worse than Delhi; smog hampers visibility

Mumbai has trumped Delhi for all the wrong reasons this time, as the city's air quality remained "very poor", with an AQI of 328 recorded on Wednesday. The Mazgaon area of Mumbai saw AQI levels touch a whopping high of 493, which is termed "severe" on the scale, and is believed to be hazardous for anyone breathing in the polluted air.

Mumbai's AQI, which was recorded at 306 on Tuesday, worsened the following day, with PM10 and PM2.5 levels also hovering around the harmful mark. It must also be noted that none of the areas in the country's financial capital are currently witnessing "satisfactory" AQI levels of below 100.

Apart from the "very poor" and "severe" AQI levels, the smog in the city is also hampering visibility. Mumbai's air quality, though, is not only making it hard for Mumbaikars to see but also causing eyesight-related problems in many who are being exposed to the pollutants in the air.

There have been reports of people experience a redness in their eyes, followed by swelling. Cases of mild irritation, conjunctivitis, and allergies are also coming up as the deteriorating air quality continues to adversely affect the health of the citizenry. Owing to the thick blanket of smog covering Mumbai, people are also finding it hard to commute.

This is not the first time in the recent past when Mumbai's air quality has gotten worse than that of Delhi. The city of dreams also recorded harmful AQI levels oscillating between "poor" and "very poor" in the first half of December 2022.