Mumbai: Mumbai woke to a crisp, pleasant Thursday morning marked by clear blue skies, cool winds and a gentle winter nip. However, a thick blanket of smog clung to the city, reducing visibility and signalling a sharp rise in pollution levels. Despite the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting clear skies and temperatures between 19°C and 34°C, the deteriorating air quality overshadowed the otherwise ideal winter conditions.

The spike in pollution comes amid Mumbai’s ongoing construction boom. Dust from private real estate projects and large-scale government works, metro corridors, bridges and road-widening projects continues to fuel high concentrations of suspended particulate matter. As infrastructure deadlines accelerate, so has the struggle to keep the city’s air breathable.

By today morning, AQI.in recorded Mumbai’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at 258, placing it firmly in the ‘unhealthy’ category. The jump was major compared to the more manageable levels observed earlier last month. Residents across several areas reported the familiar effects of elevated PM2.5 exposure: burning eyes, throat irritation, headaches and a distinct, acrid smell in the air. From high vantage points, the city’s skyline looked washed out and distant, mirroring the widespread impact of the pollution surge.

Several pockets emerged as pollution hotspots. Wadala Truck Terminal led with a startling AQI of 376, classified as severe. Chembur followed at 328 and Deonar at 315, continuing their trend of high industrial emissions. Business districts such as BKC (302) and coastal areas like Colaba (300) also hovered near severe levels, reflecting the combined impact of traffic congestion, commercial activity and coastal humidity trapping pollutants.

Even suburban areas, though relatively better, remained affected. Charkop recorded an AQI of 107 and Govandi 183, both in the poor range. Other zones such as Bhandup West (217), Parel–Bhoiwada (230) and Malad West (233) stayed firmly in the unhealthy bracket. While the severity varied across areas, a greyish haze persisted across most of Mumbai, making the pollution problem unmistakably citywide.

For context, AQI between 0–50 is considered Good, 51–100 Moderate, 101–150 Poor, 151–200 Unhealthy, and anything above 200 falls into the Hazardous zone. With multiple localities crossing into severe levels, Mumbai’s air quality crisis continues to overshadow the season’s pleasant chill, leaving residents concerned about the long winter ahead.

Mumbai: Sadanand Date is certain to be appointed as the new Maharashtra chief. Sadanand Date is currently serving as the head of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA). The state government has recommended Maharashtra cadre IPS Date for the post of DGP, after which Sadanand Date can now be appointed as the new DGP of Maharashtra. Date is also an important contender because his retirement is in 2027 and he will remain in the post of DGP for two years. The state government will soon take a decision regarding the DGP. The government has also requested to send Sadanand Date back to the state cadre, which makes it clear that Sadanand Date can be selected as the next DGP. Many senior officers are in the race for this post, but Data is the most senior among the senior officers.

Mumbai: Police has started an operation against Bangladeshis in Mumbai. On the other hand, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya has started demanding action against Bangladeshis. In Kurla, an alleged Bangladeshi girl, Najma, gave birth to a girl in 2024. Najma had sent an application to the Kurla L Ward and the Collector, including the education officer, for issuing her birth certificate. In this, Kirit Somaiya has made a serious allegation that Najma is Bangladeshi and Dr. Ashraf Qazi of the clinic in the building adjacent to Kurla LIG Colony had given her a certificate for the birth certificate of her girl, after which the certificate of this Bangladeshi girl, Saiba, was issued. Kirit Somaiya has also released the Aadhar card of Najma and her husband Ayub Nat on X in this regard. Along with this, the doctor’s certificate obtained from RTI has also been released by Kirit Somaiya on X, in which the doctor said that the girl was born on November 19, but the birth took place at home. The BHMS doctor had confirmed all this. Based on the documents, Kreet Soumya has demanded action against Bangladeshi Najma. Along with this, in the application that Najma has filed before the Tahsildar, she has requested to obtain the birth certificate as soon as possible and the signature she has at the end is in Bengali. Kreet Soumya met the health officer in L ward and demanded action against the Bangladeshi birth certificate. Once again, Kreet Soumya has started targeting Muslim-majority areas before the BMC elections. Earlier, Kreet Soumya had targeted Govindi, Mankhurd and Malegaon in the case of fake certificates. Now, Kreet Soumya has applied in the suburban area of ​​​​Kurla, Mumbai, that birth certificates of Bangladeshis have been issued here too. Kreet Soumya has also referred to 15 fake certificates that have been issued to alleged Bangladeshis in Kurla. Mumbai Police has deported more than 1,000 Bangladeshis living in Mumbai and registered 404 cases, despite which Kret Soumya is not satisfied with the police’s action. This action was reported by Mumbai Police Commissioner Devin Bharti himself. When Dr. Ashraf Qazi was asked about Kret Soumya’s allegation, he called it baseless and said that the girl was born at home and after that the girl had a complaint, I treated her and issued her medical certificate. The work of issuing birth certificates is the responsibility of the BMC administration.