The smoke from the fire at Mumbai’s dumping ground has entirely swallowed South Mumbai and the eastern suburbs, adding to the smog that’s affecting the financial capital for the third consecutive day.
Images taken by NASA’s satellites from January 27 to 29 clearly show how a plume of smoke from the fire at the Deonar dumping ground at the eastern fringe of Mumbai, has not only covered the entire Island city but has spread deeper into the Arabian Sea and has also affected the coastal areas of Maharashtra in Raigad district.
“The images were taken at 1:30 pm on all three days and it clearly shows how on January 27 the skies are clear. Then on January 28 the fire starts and the smoke has blanketed much of Mumbai. And by the next day it has spread further into the sea,” explained Dr Ritesh Gautam, Assistant Professor at the Centre of Studies in Resources Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, who collated relevant data and images.
From the images it can also be inferred that the wind is blowing from the North-East and pushing the smoke in the South-West direction. That is why the western and northern suburbs have been spared.
Around 70 government schools have been shut down today and yesterday around the Shivaji Nagar and Deonar areas because of the smog and smoke.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has also directed the municipality to act immediately.
