India, Nov. 24 -- For the first time this season, the city woke up on Sunday to a thick haze and smog as the air quality steadily worsened in Mumbai. Visibility in several areas, including the coastal road, was low, and the overall air quality index (AQI) stood at 176, with ozone as the primary pollutant. On Saturday, the AQI had peaked at 188 or very close to the "poor" zone.

A civic official told HT that several stations had consistently logged a dismal AQI of over 200. "We have two squads in place who will check whether construction norms are being followed," he said. "Meanwhile, instructions have been given at the ward level to implement the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) 4 if the air quality remains poor for the next two days."...