A spell of unexpected post-monsoon showers brought relief to Mumbai residents late on Friday evening, washing away pollutants and improving the city’s air quality that had worsened earlier in the week. The rainfall, which drenched central parts of the city including Byculla, Wadala, and Grant Road, helped lower the Air Quality Index (AQI) to a “satisfactory” level, signalling a much-needed reprieve from rising pollution levels.
According to data from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Byculla recorded 64mm and Wadala 62mm of rain within just one hour between 8pm and 9pm, while Grant Road and Sewri registered 55mm and 54mm respectively. The suburbs received only light drizzle, but the impact was enough to cleanse the air. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) attributed the unseasonal showers to western disturbances, which have been more frequent this year. Officials have also issued a yellow alert for the weekend, forecasting moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds across Mumbai. The weather department noted that such patterns suggest a colder winter ahead, though rainfall is expected to subside gradually.
The showers have had a direct impact on air quality. After peaking at a “poor” level of 211 on October 21, coinciding with Diwali festivities, Mumbai’s AQI dropped to 75—classified as “satisfactory”—following Friday’s rain. Earlier in the month, AQI levels had fluctuated between “moderate” (101–200) and “poor” as the monsoon officially withdrew on October 10. The downpour helped disperse particulate matter, offering temporary respite to residents battling pollution linked to firecrackers, vehicular emissions, and construction dust. A report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) revealed that between October 13 and 22, more than two-thirds of the city’s 30 air quality monitoring stations recorded particulate matter (PM10) levels above permissible limits. Experts from the organisation have urged authorities to take a long-term view of pollution control beyond seasonal variations, focusing on everyday contributors such as traffic congestion, dust from infrastructure projects, and unregulated industrial emissions.
Environmental experts explained that while rainfall provides short-term relief, it does not address the structural causes of poor air quality. As one expert observed, “The showers clean the air temporarily, but without reducing emissions from transport and construction, pollution levels will rise again once the rain stops.” The IMD also predicted that the approaching La Niña phase could bring a severe winter with lower wind speeds—conditions that could trap pollutants closer to the ground. Meteorologists said the phenomenon, expected to set in by mid-November, may mirror the cold and smog-filled conditions seen during the 2021–2022 winter season.
As Mumbai welcomes cleaner air and cooler evenings, the recent showers serve as a reminder that nature’s interventions, while welcome, are not substitutes for sustainable urban planning. Long-term air quality improvement will depend on how effectively the city transitions towards cleaner transport, stricter construction controls, and greener urban policies that align with its zero-carbon goals.
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