Delhi air pollution worse than Mumbai, shows latest IQ Air data

In recent months, a lot has been spoken about the sudden rise of pollution in Mumbai which has surpassed the much talked about Delhi pollution. Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, even posted a global ranking in which Mumbai was ranked second, claiming that for the first time in a long time, the national capital was not on the list of the world's most polluted cities.

While Mumbai's air quality has undoubtedly worsened, new data from IQ Air reveals disparate and concerning tendencies about the true reality.

According to a report by NDTV, the new data showed that the national capital's pollution levels have been twice that of India's financial centre, Mumbai.

This is based on pollutant levels of PM 2.5, which is the microscopic and dangerous particulate matter (PM) that may bypass the human body's defences and embed itself deep in the lungs and other organs.

The latest figures show that Delhi's air pollution level has been higher than Mumbai's every month in 2022, especially in November and December, when Mumbai's air pollution initially grabbed news for surpassing the national capital's levels.

And it hasn't only happened recently. In comparison to Mumbai, Delhi has had an average annual PM 2.5 concentration of 45 micrograms per cubic metre for the past four years.

The sea breeze typically helps the coastal city by removing pollution, primarily from traffic, construction, and road dust. Doctors have noticed an increase in respiratory infections this winter, particularly in children.

According to the data, PM 2.5 levels in November and December increased by 18 per cent over the previous year. The government data further showed that the surge was considerably greater in November, reaching more than 60 per cent.

The data further demonstrates how far both cities are from the safe PM 2.5 level of only 5 micrograms per cubic metre.

In November and December of last year, Delhi exceeded the World Health Organisation (WHO's) safe air quality limit by about 40 times, and Mumbai by around 16 times - both of which are extremely detrimental to health.

Why does air quality fall?

Emissions and particulate matter are the primary causes of poor air quality. Emissions cannot be produced by the weather or climate. Cities like Delhi are in a difficult position since they are landlocked on all sides.

Mumbai, on the other hand, is a coastal city that benefits from natural purification. Stronger surface breezes remove air contaminants from the land and bring in fresh air.

But, scientists have recently shown that, even in coastal locations, air quality is decreasing as a result of climate change patterns. Temperatures are rising, and there are more instances of severe weather.

This year's La Nina phenomenon in Mumbai delayed the reversal of cleaner sea winds in the city and adjacent areas. This had an impact on the city's natural cleansing mechanism, and there was a higher concentration of particulate matter due to high-flying dust emissions. Furthermore, the import of transboundary pollution from more polluted locations due to changes in wind patterns has contributed to Mumbai's declining air quality.

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