PM10 levels in Mumbai unsafe not just in winter but in summer too: Study

The PM10 (particulate matter with a diameter of 10 micrometres or less) levels in the city have consistently breached the national safety threshold of 60 g/m not just during winter peaks, but even in the summer months, a four-year study has revealed.

In 2024, Malad West recorded a sharp spike in PM10 levels, rising to 154.5 g/m , a nearly 50 per cent increase from the previous year.  Shivaji Nagar, another critical hotspot, registered an alarming 211.0 g/m in 2023 before dropping to 102.2 g/m in 2024, still over 70 per cent above the national limit. Siddharth Nagar-Worli saw levels rise from 57.1 g/m in 2021 to 119.2 g/m in 2023 before slightly improving to 105.1 g/m in 2024, the study revealed.  Other consistently polluted locations include Chakala-Andheri East, Kurla, Deonar, Vile Parle West, and Mazgaon, all of which remained above safe levels year after year. "PM10 levels in the city have consistently breached the national safety threshold of 60 g/m , not just during winter peaks, but even in the summer months," the study by Respirer Living Sciences, a climate-tech start up, showed.  The report indicates that PM10 pollution in Mumbai is a persistent issue throughout every season, with no sustained improvement over the last four years. Short-term exposures to PM10 have been associated primarily with worsening of respiratory diseases, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), leading to hospitalisation and emergency department visits. Mumbai's annual PM10 averages were 109.3 g/m in 2021, 119.7 g/m in 2022, 118.6 g/m in 2023, and 90.0 g/m in 2024, the study said. "While there was a slight dip in 2024, the city has remained above the safe limit throughout, with no year offering reprieve. The consistently high numbers confirm that even during summer, when pollution levels are typically expected to drop due to better dispersion, PM10 concentrations stayed dangerously elevated," the study said. "The data tells a very clear story that there is no clean season left in Mumbai," said Ronak Sutaria, Founder and CEO of Respirer Living Sciences. "Even in the summer months, PM10 levels are not just above the limit, they are multiple times higher. This is a citywide, year-round issue that must be addressed through urban planning, infrastructure reform, and regulatory enforcement."  The report identifies traffic emissions, unregulated construction dust, industrial activity near port zones, and inadequate dust control mechanisms as primary contributors to Mumbai's PM10 burden. It also calls for a comprehensive action plan that includes strict enforcement of dust suppression protocols at construction sites, expansion of public transport, improved traffic management, and deployment of real-time monitoring networks at the ward level to drive hyperlocal action. The study also recommends that clean air goals be integrated into the city's master planning and transport infrastructure strategies to achieve measurable and equitable improvements in air quality.