Bhandup area tops air pollution charts,higher than regions in Delhi and Pune

Bhandup in the city recorded the highest level of air pollution in particulate matter size 2.5, higher than any other areas in Delhi and Pune — two other cities that are monitored by System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR).

Even as the capital recorded 304 µg/m3 as the highest PM 2.5 at its Airport air monitoring station, the city recorded 324 µg/m3 in Bhandup.

“Bhandup recorded the highest PM 2.5; however, the concentration of other pollutants such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen was in the good category,” said Dr Gufran Beig, project director of SAFAR from Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology.

Though Bhandup recorded the highest PM 2.5 on Saturday than any other air monitoring stations in Pune and Delhi, the overall pollution of Mumbai was lower than Delhi, as per the data of SAFAR.

Both Delhi and Mumbai recorded ‘poor’ AQI and Pune recorded ‘moderate’ AQI. The capital recorded 240 AQI while the city recorded 220 AQI.

“In Mumbai, the air pollution generally ranges between moderate to poor. But checks need to be made before it becomes ‘very poor’,” said K.S. Hosalikar, the deputy director general of meteorology, Mumbai.

For a change, Worli that records one of the highest air pollution and on an average records ‘poor’ AQI, recorded ‘good’ AQI with air pollutants within the permissible level as recommended by World Health Organization (WHO).

“Though the number of vehicle is fewer in Mumbai in comparison to Delhi, the number of vehicle per kilometre is higher. Due to the congestion and traffic, vehicles emit more pollution,” said Mr Hosalikar.