Mumbai Air Quality Remains Unhealthy; Chembur, Shell Colony In Severe AQI Category

Mumbai woke up to yet another worrying morning on Monday, January 19, as air pollution levels across the city remained in the Unhealthy category, underlining a persistent deterioration in air quality over the past few days. According to real-time data updated at 9:06 am (local time), the city recorded an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of 155 (US standard).

While this figure is marginally 1.1 times lower than the overall AQI of Maharashtra, it still poses significant health risks, especially for vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly and those with respiratory conditions.

Across Mumbai, a majority of monitoring stations reported Unhealthy to Poor air quality, with a few pockets slipping into the Severe category. Chembur emerged as one of the most polluted areas in the city on Monday, recording a Severe AQI of 207, driven by extremely high levels of PM2.5 (132 µg/m³) and PM10 (152 µg/m³). Similarly, Shell Colony also reported Severe air quality with an AQI of 206, while Hiranandani Gardens Station 2 hovered close to the danger mark with an AQI of 199, indicating prolonged exposure risks for residents.

Several prominent residential and commercial hubs, including Bandra (170), Bandra East (162), Bandra Kurla Complex (165), Colaba (161), Kurla (169), Malad (166) and Worli (161), remained firmly in the Unhealthy category. These areas recorded elevated particulate matter levels, with PM2.5 concentrations often exceeding safe limits by more than three times. The situation was no different around key transit zones such as the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, which registered an AQI of 158, highlighting the widespread nature of pollution across the city.

On a relatively better note, a handful of locations reported Moderate air quality. Thakur Village stood out with an AQI of 82, while Churi Wadi recorded 97, offering brief relief compared to other parts of Mumbai. However, these pockets remain exceptions rather than the norm. Large swathes of the suburbs, including Borivali East and West, Kandivali East, Malad West, Shivaji Nagar and Yagna Nagar, continued to oscillate between Poor and Unhealthy air quality levels.
Weather conditions offered little respite. Temperatures across most areas hovered around 21°C to 25°C, with humidity levels largely ranging between 60% and 73%. Such conditions, coupled with weak wind movement, have likely contributed to the accumulation of pollutants, preventing their dispersion.

The broader trend over the past week paints an even grimmer picture. On January 15, Mumbai's AQI stood at 186 (Unhealthy). Pollution levels escalated sharply on January 16, when the AQI spiked to 235, firmly entering the Severe category. The situation remained hazardous on Friday, January 17, with the AQI recorded at 210, raising fresh public health alarms. Although there has been a slight improvement since then, Monday's readings suggest that air quality remains far from safe.

Health experts continue to advise residents to limit outdoor activities, especially during early morning and late evening hours, use masks where necessary, and keep windows closed to minimise exposure. With no immediate weather changes expected, Mumbai's battle with air pollution appears set to continue, underscoring the urgent need for sustained mitigation measures and public awareness.