Mumbai: After a week of moderate air quality, Mumbai’s air once again plummeted to “poor” levels with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded as 237, according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR).

Officials from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) attributed the increase in AQI to vehicular emissions mostly. Moreover, experts suspected that the increasing humidity levels too, were to blame for the rise in pollutant levels.

“Poor” air quality can lead to health issues such as coughing, irritation in the eyes and breathlessness for sensitive people. According to SAFAR, four areas — Borivali, Bhandup, Bandra-Kurla Complex

(BKC) and Mazagaon — fell under “very poor” air quality with the highest PM2.5 levels of 335 recorded at Mazagaon. Chembur, Colaba, Worli and Navi Mumbai recorded “poor” levels of PM2.5.

A MPCB official said, “It seems that the rise in AQI levels could be due to vehicular congestion in the city. Moreover, there are also cases of burning of dry leaves near Mumbai University which could have resulted in a spike in pollutants.”

The city recorded a maximum temperature of 34.1 degrees Celsius which is three degrees Celsius above normal while minimum temperature was recorded at 19.4 degrees Celsius.

Humidity levels for Tuesday were recorded at 91 per cent, which is 24 per cent above normal.