Maharashtra: CM Shinde to chair pollution review meeting today; AQI drops in Mumbai after rain

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 9 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is slated to chair a review meeting on prevailing pollution in Maharashtra.
The meeting is scheduled to be held at the chief minister's residence, Varsha Bungalow.
The overall Air Quality at 9:30 am today was shown as 118 in Mumbai according to data provided by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR)-India.
This was an improvement from AQI of 131 that was recorded on Wednesday.
Rain lashed parts of Mumbai yesterday bringing some temporary respite. According to the India Meterological Department (IMD) on Thursday morning at 8.30 am, Mumbai Colaba recorded 24.2 per cent rainfall. The IMD has forecast isolated rain at one or two places in Maharasthra for today and tomorrow.
Thunderstorm accompanied with lightning, light spell of rain with gusty winds speed 30 -40 kmph very likely to occur at isolated places in districts of South Konkan-Goa and South Madhya Maharashtra, according to the Met Department.
At 9 am today the Bandra Bandra Kurla Complex recorded AQI at 121 in the 'Moderate' category. Bandra Kurla Complex the AQI was at 74, at Borivali East, it was at 122, Chakala-Andheri East recorded 'Satisfactory' AQI at 100. Chembur recorded AQI of 150 'Moderate' the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport station recorded 132 'Moderate' AQI. In Colaba the AQI was 'Satisfactory' 98 while Kurla the AQI was at 126, in Malad Westit it was 106, in Mazgaon it was recorded at 119, Mulund West AQI was 122. In Powai, the AQI was 'Satisfactory' 67
Vasai West 'Moderate' 119, Vile Parle West recorded 'Moderate' 109, Worli recorded 'Moderate' 107 AQI.
State Minister Deepak Kesarkar on Wednesday said in view of the deteriorating air quality in Mumbai, a lot of new initiatives are being taken by the corporation to reduce air pollution.
"The pollution level is above what is prescribed (in Mumbai). And that's why a lot of new initiatives are being taken by the corporation. One of them is cleaning roads with water. The second is sprinkling water on construction sites. Fogging guns, which spray water into the air, are also being used to reduce air pollution," Kesarkar told ANI.
There has been a deterioration of AQI readings in the state over the past few weeks.
On Sunday, the Maharashtra public health department issued an advisory under which district level task force will monitor air pollution-related illnesses and formulate action plans to address pollution concerns throughout the state.
Meanwhile, the state-run JJ Hospital in Mumbai has introduced a specialized 20-bed ward exclusively for respiratory ailments.
This initiative comes after Maharashtra government selected JJ Hospital to implement 'sentinel surveillance' for acute respiratory illnesses (ARI) in 17 of the most polluted cities in the state, including Mumbai.
The state's public health department issued an advisory, urging districts to formulate action plans to address air pollution concerns. A daily report on respiratory patients will be submitted as part of this initiative.
On Wednesday, a health alert was issued in the CST area due to the deteriorating air quality.The air quality index varied in different areas of Mumbai.