Mumbai: Actor Juhi Chawla has raised concerns over an unusual smell lingering across Mumbai, describing it as similar to burnt fuel.
On Thursday, the actress took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share her experience of the strange odour.
Questioning its possible source, she said it smelled almost like kerosene or diesel.
She wrote, “Will someone please tell me what this strange burnt-fuel smell in the air is..?? Almost like kerosene or diesel. I’ve been noticing it for several days now, from early morning and at different times through the day. Is anyone else smelling this too? Let me know”.
Her post comes amid growing concerns over Mumbai’s deteriorating air quality, with firecracker emissions adding to the pollution following Diwali.
The city witnessed a significant decline in air quality after the festival, with its Air Quality Index (AQI) touching 171 on November 9. This marked a 28% increase compared to the AQI of 134 recorded on the day after Diwali last year.
As many as eight monitoring stations across Mumbai recorded air quality in the ‘poor’ category, with firecracker emissions identified as a major contributor to the pollution.
Health experts have warned that prolonged exposure to fine particulate matter can cause respiratory irritation, cardiovascular complications and systemic inflammation.
Children and senior citizens are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of air pollution.
Meanwhile, the Mumbai Fire Brigade reported an unprecedented surge in emergency calls during the period.
Between November 6 and 9, it received 282 fire-related calls, of which 200 were attributed to firecrackers.
November 8 recorded the highest number, with 137 of the 142 calls linked to firecracker-related incidents. One person also lost their life in a fire.
Following the incidents, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) imposed a ban on rockets and aerial firecrackers across Mumbai until November 25.
