The air quality in Mumbai showed a marked improvement on Saturday morning, with the maximum city registering 78 on the Air Quality Index (AQI) scale, according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecast And Research (SAFAR)-India. The city’s ongoing efforts to combat air pollution seem to be working with air quality finally moving into the ‘good’ category.

Visuals from Marine Drive showed the increased clarity, a positive shift in the overall air quality of the city.

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Visuals from Marine Drive as Air Quality Index (AQI) improves in Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/tqoSYxNZQ7

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 11, 2023

Out of the 21 monitoring stations in the city, 13 reported double-digit AQI readings, while eight stations recorded moderate levels. Kurla had an AQI of 61, followed by 63 in BKC and 64 in Bhandup. However, Chembur had a relatively higher AQI of 150, Kandivli had 113 and Worli recorded 102 on the AQI scale.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast a partly cloudy sky for Mumbai on November 11, followed by clear skies from November 12 to November 16.

Earlier in the week, a thunderstorm, accompanied by 13mm of rainfall, brought some relief to the people. The prevailing westerly winds played a role in maintaining the AQI within the moderate range.

Meanwhile, in response to growing concerns, the Bombay High Court suggested the Maharashtra government consider implementing a regulatory framework similar to that of the National Capital Region (NCR). This suggestion came following a suo motu public interest litigation addressing deteriorating air quality in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

Advocate General Dr Birendra Saraf assured the court that state agencies had taken prompt action following the suo motu cognizance, according to the report by the Bar and Bench. The court acknowledged reduced Diwali fireworks in Mumbai but opted to limit the allowed time for bursting crackers to two hours, the report added.

Earlier, directives from the bench included ensuring the use of wholly covered trucks to transport construction materials and halting such transportation until Friday. If air quality fails to improve, the court hinted at a potential ban on the transportation of construction debris to mitigate pollution.

(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)