Some of the worst-affected areas with heavy smog continue to be BKC, Deonar/Govandi, Kurla, and Wadala; Mumbai on Tuesday morning recorded an AQI of 174 (moderate category). This level of pollution can cause adverse health effects, especially for sensitive groups
The increased level of pollution can cause adverse health effects, especially for sensitive groups. REPRESENTATION PIC/I STOCK
As Mumbai’s Air Quality Index (AQI) sees a sharp decline, schools have been seeing students call in sick owing to flu and congestion. Given that the year-end also factors in sports days and cultural events into the school calendars, educationists and parents have been especially careful too.
Talking to mid-day, Principal of Mulund-based St Pius X School, Fr Norbert D’Souza, said, “The sports day practice is underway at our school, and the students are preparing for the march past and other events. Given that our school campus is surrounded by construction sites, the dust makes matters worse for the students.”
“Our students have started wearing masks to school and practices, since the sports day is right around the corner. Our premises are also surrounded with redevelopment projects, so there is also the dust factor,” said Principal Taskeen Bhore of Diamond Jubilee School, Mazagaon. The educationist reported that the school has seen cases of students falling ill from flu or congestion.
Thick smog blurs skyline in the city on Monday. FILE PIC/ASHISH RAJE
Dadar’s Dr Antonio Da Silva School also reported a lot of student absenteeism. “While students have shown irregularities in attendance, a lot of our teaching body is under the weather as well,” said the principal, Christabel D'Souza.
Other prominent schools in the city, such as the Dhirubhai Ambani International School, have already set up air purifiers on their premises. “We even have an air quality monitor and a protocol where students don't go out to play if the air quality slides below a certain point,” said Abhimanyu Basu, school director. Seeing the air conditions in Mumbai, many parents have also begun considering whether portable air purifiers are the way to go now.
“Many concerned parents have begun calling educationists, wondering what schooling would look like if these conditions persist. At the moment, we can bring back the masks and avoid letting children play outdoors when there is too much smog,” said Dr Swati Popat Vats, an early childcare expert and an educationist.
On Tuesday morning, all eight matches organised by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) went on as planned. “I have seen one in five of our athletes catch a cold, cough, or even a fever. However, since they are young, they recover faster,” said Nadim Memon, MCA apex council member.
Air quality ‘moderate’
Mumbai on Tuesday morning recorded an AQI of 174 (moderate category). This level of pollution can cause adverse health effects, especially for sensitive groups. On Monday, the city’s AQI was 176, and on Sunday, it recorded an AQI of 186, with ozone being the primary pollutant. According to the CPCB, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’. The areas worst affected by pollution continue to be BKC, Deonar/Govandi, Kurla, and Wadala, with smog reported during dawn.
Manoj Kumar, analyst, Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, said, “Mumbai typically experiences a rise in air pollution during the winter months. As temperatures drop, the formation of shallow temperature inversions, especially during early mornings and late evenings, reduces vertical mixing of air. At the same time, the weakening of the city’s sea breeze and land breeze circulation slows pollutant dispersion. This allows emissions from traffic, construction activity, industries, and power plants to accumulate.”
About 40 per cent of the worst AQI days recorded in Mumbai in 2023 and 2024 were during the winter months — December, January, and February, according to information from the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) data repository. In 2023, Mumbai recorded 145 days in the 'moderate' AQI category and 35 days in the 'poor' AQI category, totalling 180 days of bad AQI. Of these, 45 days were during the winter months. Similarly, in 2024, 145 days reported AQI in the 'moderate' category, and two days reported AQI in the 'poor' category, of which 70 days were from the winter months.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
