Mumbai breathes its cleanest air ever for the second time this monsoon

• Mumbai's air quality index (AQI) reached its most pristine best of 10, owing to the exceptional monsoon pattern.
• Every four to five days, a wind reversal in Mumbai sweeps away all the pollutants and brings clean air.
• One of the most significant health risks in the world, according to the World Health Organization, is air pollution.

Mumbai is a coastal city, and weather factors significantly impact the air quality index (AQI) regardless of human-caused emissions. The city's air quality is affected by temperature, wind speed changes and pollution.
The development of a low-pressure system near the coast of Maharashtra, the subsequent increase in the sea breeze, thundershowers, and a unique monsoon pattern have significantly reduced the city's pollution levels yesterday.
On Tuesday, Mumbai's air quality index (AQI) reached its cleanest best of 10 owing to the exceptional monsoon pattern, for the second time, even after heavy traffic due to disputing rainfall.
July 1 was the last time the city's air was this clear. A higher AQI value denotes more significant air pollution and health risks. In comparison, a lower AQI value indicate)s cleaner air, as per the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR).
Gufran Beig, project director for SAFAR, explained that while the pollutants are being washed away by rain, they are being carried far from the city by strong winds.
"However, we must realize that clean air is nature's gift and not an achievement to be proud of. We can have it throughout the year, not just during the monsoon season, if we continue to work towards resolving the environmental crisis and find appropriate solutions," he said.
How does Mumbai have cleaner air even after heavy traffic and air pollution?
Strong sea breezes frequently purge the polluted air from Mumbai, as the winds cause pollution to build up. Pollution is suspended when the winds are light, and people breathe it in. Any location needs wind to propel locally produced pollutants.
Once every four to five days, a wind reversal in Mumbai sweeps away all the pollutants. It replaces them with clean air when the winds are blowing from the seaside toward the land, and the monsoon washes away the contaminants from the city, harbouring fresh air into the city.