Mumbai: Smog continued to blanket large parts of the city on Sunday, with air quality levels remaining in the “moderate” category as unfavourable weather conditions showed little sign of easing. The city’s average air quality index (AQI) stood at 105, marginally lower than the previous day’s 107, indicating stable but persistent pollution levels.Several neighbourhoods reported reduced visibility in the early hours, with haze lingering through the morning instead of clearing quickly. Santosh Shetty, member of We All Connect, a Kandivli Lokhandwala residents’ association, said the smog was particularly dense during his morning walk. “On my walk around 6am, I encountered particularly heavy smog. It was difficult to see clearly even at a short distance,” he said. Officials from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) attributed the continued smog to stagnant weather conditions that are preventing pollutants from dispersing. “Meteorological conditions like low wind speed and temperature inversion, where the warm air traps the cold air below, not allowing it to dissipate into the atmosphere, are the primary reasons for smog,” an IMD official said. Abhijit Modak, independent meteorologist, said the current conditions are typical of Mumbai’s winter pollution pattern. “Nov-Feb are the most polluted months for the city. Smog is a combination of weather conditions where cold air sinks and is not able to rise, leading to pollutants being locked in a particular area,” he said. Modak said both sea breeze and land breeze have remained weak in recent days. “With winds expected to continue at low speeds, smog is likely to persist as there is no weather system at present that can contribute to higher wind speeds and help clear the pollution,” he said. ‘Moderate’ levels of pollution can trigger respiratory issues in people with lung and heart diseases as well as affect children and older adults.
