Over the last month, the air quality index in Mumbai has gone worse which earlier had been a case seen always in the capital of the country. This rise in pollution has made the people there in Mumbai understand the distress that is faced by the people of Delhi due to these pollution levels.

Since December 5, the AQI in Mumbai has been consistently in the 'very poor' range (AQI > 300) according to the weather network agencies.

It's not a completely new fact that Mumbai's air has gone completely toxic but the effect of the same wouldn't generally last for long. Mumbai is as much responsible for air pollution as Delhi is but the former gets an advantage of location while the latter is much more strangled by the phenomenon of continentality.

The moderating influence of the sea together with the Sea Breeze sweeps away the warm air pollutants away from land making the air of Mumbai relatively clean.

Mumbai being a coastal town is affected both by Land Breezes and Sea breezes cyclically which happens on a periodic basis. When the wind is not moving away from the land, air pollutants accumulate over the city. But with the change of wind direction, it gets cleaned. The cycle gets delayed every year. This time it has been delayed not just by 3-4 days but for some complete 10 days. Sometimes when the sea breeze falls, the pollution levels are not checked properly attributing to the decline in the speed of the air.

Various weather events across the world may be indirectly impacting the environment. Undeniably, large infrastructure projects have also significantly added to larger pollution levels. The size of the particulate matter together with the solid and gaseous waste in the air has increased tremendously. The hospitals in Mumbai have reported an increase in the number of people coming with breathing or respiratory ailments. Doctors have advised people to wear masks when people go out. The administration of Mumbai is ready to take steps to find a solution to the problem. Prolonged exposure to these poisonous gases can lead to cardiovascular problems.

The financial capital has now attained a parallel with the capital of the country in the context of pollution levels. It's even surprising that when generally Delhi is covered in the news headlines for rising air pollution levels, Mumbai makes an appearance here. No doubt, Mumbai has joined a growing list of Indian cities that have bad air and pollution levels.

The causes of air pollution have now and then been largely the same but the status to cure or regulate it is completely negligible. The challenge of economic development can never be attained in it's entirety unless environmental concerns and questions of sustainable development are incorporated well into the general behavior of the country.

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References:

• indianexpress.com
• m.economictimes.com
• hindustantimes.com