Mumbai’s Air Turns More Toxic, Ranks Third Among World’s Most Polluted Cities

Mumbai’s air quality is deteriorating, raising fresh concerns about the health and well-being of residents. Just a week after the city ranked fifth among the world’s most polluted cities, a new assessment by IQAir has placed Mumbai in the third position globally, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 166.

The latest ranking by the US-based independent air quality monitoring organisation covered 122 cities worldwide. Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia topped the list with an AQI of 192, followed by Kolkata in second place with an AQI of 170. Particulate matter PM2.5 was identified as the primary pollutant in all three cities.

The situation in Mumbai also remains concerning according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). On Monday, the CPCB recorded the city’s AQI at 114, placing it in the unhealthy category as reported in the assessment.

Data from the CPCB dashboard further revealed that 13 of the 20 operational air quality monitoring stations in Mumbai recorded unhealthy readings. Navy Nagar in Colaba reported an AQI of 158, followed by Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) at 156, Andheri East at 145, Siddharth Nagar in Worli at 143 and Malad at 138.

The worsening air quality has renewed concerns over the potential health risks associated with prolonged exposure to polluted air, particularly for children, older people and those with respiratory conditions.

Experts have linked the rising pollution levels to the ongoing El Niño phenomenon, a natural climate pattern characterised by the abnormal warming of surface waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean.

As Mumbai climbs higher on the global pollution ranking, the latest figures highlight the growing challenge of maintaining healthy air quality in major urban centres.