Mumbai

India’s financial capital city Mumbai's air quality has become worse than India’s national capital Delhi. 

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On Thursday, Mumbai recorded the Air Quality Index (AQI) of 316, considered to be ‘very poor', higher than Delhi’s AQI at 263 or in the ‘poor’ category. 

An AQI between 201 and 300 is considered *poor*, 301-400 *very poor* and 401-500 *severe*, while an AQI between zero and 50 is considered *good*, 51 and 100 *satisfactory*, and 101 and 200 *moderate. 

According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), stagnant winds, drop in temperatures, and suspended pollutants mixing with moisture in the atmosphere are causing haze across the metropolis. 

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As Mumbai AQI became worse than Delhi’s, doctors advised people to take precautionary measures like wearing masks, especially those who have respiratory illnesses, while stepping out.

In fact, Mumbai’s civic body, BMC has come up with an action plan to improve air quality. 

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All 24 administrative wards have been directed to take immediate remedial measures to deal with the rise in AQI levels. The second step is to clean road dust and sprinkle water and also identify air pollution hotspots and micro hotspots. 

The consultants held a special meeting earlier this month with the civic body and pointed to four wards that showed a rise in AQI levels, much above 200. 

Areas like Colaba-Churchgate, Mankhurd, Borivali, and Malad are the most affected. 

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Air pollution is among the most severe health crises of our time. According to the United Nations, it's responsible for seven million premature deaths every year.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says the main pathway of exposure to air pollution is through the respiratory tract. 

Breathing in these pollutants leads to inflammation, oxidative stress, immunosuppression, and mutagenicity in cells throughout our body, impacting the lungs, heart, and brain among other organs, and ultimately leading to disease.