Mumbai’s air quality remained in the moderate category on Saturday, with the citywide AQI at 127, while Navy Nagar in Colaba recorded a poor reading of 208 as morning haze and daytime heat continued across the city.
The weather brought relatively cooler conditions during the early hours, but the marginal dip in temperature did little to ease the hot and humid conditions expected through the day. The combination was likely to keep commuting and outdoor activity uncomfortable for residents, according to the conditions reported in the city.
The India Meteorological Department forecast a minimum temperature of 19 degrees Celsius at the Santacruz weather station, with the maximum expected to reach 33 degrees Celsius. The weather update noted that humidity and daytime warmth were likely to persist despite the cooler start to the morning.
Mumbai’s overall AQI reading was recorded through figures available on the Central Pollution Control Board’s SAMEER app. Under India’s national AQI classification, readings between 51 and 100 are considered satisfactory, while readings from 101 to 200 fall in the moderate category. AQI readings between 201 and 300 are classified as poor.
Pollution levels varied sharply between monitoring locations. Navy Nagar in Colaba recorded the highest reading among the listed Mumbai stations, at 208, placing it in the poor category. Bandra-Kurla Complex recorded an AQI of 183, while Deonar reported 178 and Andheri recorded 140. All three locations remained within the moderate category despite their relatively high readings.
The contrast was more pronounced in Byculla and Powai. Byculla recorded an AQI of 99 and Powai reported 91, placing both locations in the satisfactory category under the national classification. The station-level variation shows that the citywide AQI does not reflect identical conditions across all neighbourhoods.
The update follows a sharp rise in Mumbai’s AQI after Diwali, with the latest citywide reading indicating an improvement from those elevated levels. However, the poor readings recorded at Navy Nagar, Bandra-Kurla Complex, Deonar and Andheri show that pockets of unhealthy air continued to exist within the wider moderate reading for the city.
Air quality across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region also remained mixed. Navi Mumbai recorded an AQI of 123 and Thane reported 108, both in the moderate category. Kalyan recorded a comparatively lower reading of 98, placing it in the satisfactory category.
The next readings from the CPCB monitoring network will indicate whether the improvement in Mumbai’s overall AQI is sustained across the city and the wider metropolitan region.
