Mumbai woke up to a hazy Saturday morning as the city’s air quality continued to worsen. The Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 139 at 5:30 am, placing it in the ‘moderate’ category, according to the Air Quality Early Warning System.

Experts say that pollutants such as Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 and PM 10—the city’s most harmful air contaminants—have been steadily increasing over the past few days.

What the AQI Numbers Mean

The AQI is divided into six categories — Good (0-50), Satisfactory (51-100), Moderately Polluted (101-200), Poor (201-300), Very Poor (301-400) and Severe (401-500).

The higher the AQI value, the worse the air quality and the greater the health risk. An AQI of 139 indicates that while the air is still breathable, it poses mild risks for sensitive groups such as child

See Full Page