Mumbai Air Pollution Ranking Jumps to Third Worldwide 

Mumbai Air Pollution

The Mumbai air pollution ranking has worsened sharply in a week. IQAir, the global air quality platform, listed Mumbai as the third most polluted city among 122 cities on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. A week earlier, Indian Express reported, the city was fifth. Mumbai’s reading was an AQI of 166. The main pollutant was fine particulate matter, or PM 2.5. 

  • The top three. Kuala Lumpur led with an AQI of 192, and Kolkata was second at 170. PM 2.5 was the main pollutant in all three cities. 
  • Government data. On Monday, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recorded a city AQI of 114. Thirteen of the 20 monitors operating in Mumbai showed elevated readings. Navy Nagar in Colaba read 158, Bandra Kurla Complex 156, Andheri East 145, Worli’s Siddharth Nagar 143, and Malad 138. 
  • Weather. Mumbai’s air has worsened with little rain and rising temperatures. On October 10, the city’s AQI stood at 179 as temperatures were forecast to reach 36 to 38 degrees Celsius. 
  • Why the numbers differ: Additional Municipal Commissioner Avinash Dhakane said private platforms use hourly averages, so a sudden spike shows up sooner. He said they also combine government stations with other sources, including low-cost sensors, so comparing them with CPCB figures is not accurate. CPCB monitors record ambient air at fixed locations. 

The two sets of figures measure different things, so the Mumbai air pollution ranking and the CPCB reading should not be read side by side. The gap also reflects different scales. On the US scale IQAir uses, 151 to 200 is “unhealthy.” On India’s scale, 101 to 200 is “moderate.” Both sources agree on the direction: the air is getting worse. The ranking will keep shifting from day to day. 

The source gives no forecast for rain and mentions no new civic measures. If dry, hot weather continues, readings could stay high. Residents can track the CPCB dashboard and IQAir for daily changes in the Mumbai air pollution ranking.