New Delhi: Frequent showers and wind over the weekend in Mumbai dispersed pollution and gave Mumbaikars clean air for the first time in three years on Monday. The city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) – a pollutant measuring indicator – was 18 for PM 2.5 pollutant, which is the small-sized deadly particle that can enter the lungs easily, WAS the lowest ever or the safest to breathe since air quality monitoring began in 2015.
Researchers from the System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), which measures AQI in the city, attributed the lower level of pollution to heavy rain over the weekend and high wind speeds. They said,
Active monsoon conditions over Mumbai, with rain over the weekend, additionally, the winds helped cleansed the air in the city.
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The city’s air on Monday was being touted as much better than the three other Indian cities where SAFAR records air quality – Delhi with an AQI of 121 (moderate), Pune 42 (good), and Ahmedabad 136 (moderate). Moreover, it was also cleaner than major international cities such as New York (AQI of 40), London (38), Paris (32), Sydney (22), Zurich (23), to name a few.
And soon after, a spate of tweets followed by Mumbaikars to celebrate the ‘Clean Air’. Actor and UN Environment Goodwill ambassador Dia Mirza was one of them, she said,
Mumbai experienced the cleanest air in 3 years yesterday! You could literally see it 🙂 #BlueSkies #BreatheLife #MyRightToBreathe #BeatPollution.
Also Read: Mumbai Officials Say They Have Plan To Lose World’s 4th Most Polluted Tag
Mumbai experienced the cleanest air in 3 years yesterday! You could literally see it 🙂 #BlueSkies #BreatheLife #MyRightToBreathe #BeatPollution pic.twitter.com/Oka9wn2IHp
— Dia Mirza (@deespeak) June 19, 2018
Apart from Dia there were other people too who reacted to Mumbai’s clean air.
Cleanest air in mumbai after 3 years pic.twitter.com/l3fgH662iC
— ܔܢܜܔﾑ丂んwﾉ刀 (@ashwinbhoir46) June 19, 2018
Reading Air quality AQI 18 , cleanest since June 2015 in Mumbai yesterday Lucky to hv walked the most after long time inhaling this yesterday enjoying deep blue skies. Definitely marked increase in energy levels compared to while in Delhi
— Mohan Krishnan (@pv_mk) June 19, 2018
This is what clean air in #Mumbai looks like! Surreal.
Lowest air pollution in the city yday.. need more of this! #mumbairains #maximumcity pic.twitter.com/VA5Y0Kpb5y— yash agaskar (@yasssh) June 19, 2018
Prior to Monday, the cleanest air the city recorded since 2015, was once on October 12, 2017, when AQI levels fell to 32 (good) and then again this year on June 4, when AQI was 34 (good).
