Mumbai City will Celebrate a Smoggy Holi Unless the Weather Gods Intervene

The India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) forecast suggests the possibility of rainfall between March 6-7, when Mumbai celebrates the festival of Holi.

This rain may bring relief to Mumbaikars facing unhealthy air quality since November last year.

 Mumbai's Air Quality Index (AQI) on Sunday, 5th March, was worse than Delhi, with a score of 218 (poor) compared to Delhi's 115 (moderate). Later Mumbai’s AQI peaked at 286 making it extremely unhealthy.

The civic administration identified four major factors that are adding to Mumbai’s deteriorating air quality.

Road and construction dust remain a major contributor while traffic congestion, industries/power sectors, and burning of waste are other contributors.

On rainy days, most, if not all of the common pollutants in the air are washed away, thus improving the air quality. This phenomenon is known as Wet deposition.

The city's air quality will depend on the amount of rainfall the city receives.

 If the rainfall is somewhere between light to moderate, then the pollutants in the air may most probably be washed away. However, if there is only a light rain drizzle then the moisture will absorb the pollutants and remain in the air, resulting in the further formation of smog.

The IMD has predicted cloudy skies with the possibility of thunderstorms and light rain on Monday and Tuesday, offering some hope for improved air quality.

The city may be relieved with a temporary drop in temperature due to the upcoming interactions of the westerly winds carrying moisture responsible for rain and the easterly winds responsible for a hot climate.

 But, after the short relief, higher temperatures and humidity are expected to follow the drizzles and thunderstorms.

The forecasted rain may wash away some pollutants and provide some relief to Mumbaikars.

But in the longer run, the city has to set up necessary rules and curbs to maintain a healthy air quality throughout the year.

For now, the amount of rainfall will determine if the air pollution will decline or rise and this might be the only way the air pollution in the city could be reduced.

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