Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to install air purifier towers across the city along the lines of those in Delhi, Gurugram and Lucknow in the wake of the poor Mumbai air quality. He directed Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal to make provision for the same in the BMC budget to be presented on February 4.The move is the first major step taken by the state government to address Mumbai’s poor air quality index levels. A statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office on Thursday said, “For pollution control and improving the air quality of Mumbai, BMC should take care that its budget makes provision for installing air purifier towers across the city, along the lines of Delhi, Gurugram and Lucknow. BMC should also take concrete measures to improve urban forestry, and a provision for the same must be made in the upcoming BMC budget.”Mumbai’s air quality has consistently been in the poor or very poor category throughout January.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board’s daily bulletin, Mumbai on Thursday reported an overall AQI of 180, in the moderate category. However, air quality monitoring stations operated by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) recorded the AQI in the very poor category at several locations. The worst AQI was reported from Mazgaon, at 494, in the severe category. While BKC recorded an AQI of 343, AQI in Mazgaon peaked around noon, as per IITM’s monitoring stations. According to SAFAR, the overall air quality of Mumbai was at 273, in the poor category. The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) had on January 12 contested SAFAR’s data, which has nine stations in Mumbai, and works under the aegis of IITM – an autonomous institute under the Union Minitry of Earth Sciences. According to MPCB, SAFAR’s monitors are located in areas where pollution levels are “bound to be high”, such as busy traffic junctions, and hence do not capture the true air quality index of the area. “This can mislead people and create panic. We have communicated to SAFAR that its monitors must be moved to more scientifically appropriate locations that present a wholistic picture,” said an MPCB official.Experts have attributed poor air quality in Mumbai to multiple factors, including construction, traffic congestion, cooler temperatures and wind patterns.