Mumbai's air turns hazardous in some suburbs, AQI still a worry
Mumbai's air quality took a hit this week, with the city's AQI touching 198 on Wednesday—already unhealthy.
Suburbs like Malad West and Borivali East had it even worse, crossing 300 and landing in the "hazardous" zone.
By Thursday morning, things eased just a bit (AQI 182), but the air is still far from safe.
What's causing it—and what's being done?
High levels of PM2.5 and PM10 particles are making the air risky, especially for kids, older people, and anyone with health issues.
The spike is mainly due to construction dust, traffic fumes, and less wind because of La Nina messing with weather patterns.
To fight back, officials have bumped up fines for open burning from ₹100 to ₹500 (and could go higher soon), plus they're considering pausing construction work until things improve.