Metro rail construction, reason behind Mumbai's poor air quality

Mumbai's air quality deteriorated this week as it reaches 'unhealthy' category on December 9 at 10.06 am. The current PM2.5 concentration in Mumbai is 6.7 times above the recommended limit given by the WHO 24 hrs air quality guidelines value. Continuous infrastructure work along with a shift in wind patterns are being attributed behind this, experts said. Heavy construction around metro lines produce significant dust in the city and is one of the biggest contributor to air pollution.

Studies have linked cardiovascular events to air pollution levels, and those with cardiac comorbidities should also be cautious. Measures that help could be using masks (preferably high-efficiency masks such as N-95 or K-95 masks), avoiding the outdoors when the AQI is poor, or limiting oneself to essential activities outdoors. Air pollution is the presence of one or more contaminants in the atmosphere, such as dust, fumes, gas, mist, odour, smoke or vapour in quantities and duration that can be injurious to human health. The World Health Organization (WHO) says the main pathway of exposure to air pollution is through the respiratory tract. Breathing in these pollutants leads to inflammation, oxidative stress, immunosuppression, and mutagenicity in cells throughout our body, impacting the lungs, heart, and brain among other organs and ultimately leading to disease.