Thick haze laced with pollutants starts drying skin, spurs infections

The mercury may not have dipped enough for it to be declared winter yet but the city has already started getting enveloped in a thick haze-a combination of dust particles and heavy pollutants-early mornings and after sunset. This is not fog that marks the onset of winter, say weather officials. It is polluted haze that stays around for longer, from November till March. Other than reduced visibility, it has started causing dryness of skin, throat infection as well as respiratory ailments.Currently, this haze is most perceptible during early mornings and evenings as minimum temperatures have started to dip.On Thursday, the minimum temperature recorded was 21 degrees Celsius. "When temperature drops during November and winds become calmer, these particles do not dissipate for long," said K S Hosalikar, deputy director general, Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). He added the presence of dust and suspended particles are what cause excessive dryness in the air and respiratory problems, including asthma and bronchitis.Hosalikar said the haze eases by May when the wind pattern changes and intermittent drizzles clean up the air. The incidence decreases to 6-15% between June and September. He added that once the northern parts of the country gets cooler, temperature in Mumbai will drop further, below 20 degrees, and dryness caused due to cold winds would increase.IMD officials said haze is reported 72% of the time during November. It intensifies further during December to 80%. It hovers around 72-75% during January and February only to become denser in March and April. Officials said after monsoon, the soil is devoid of moisture and therefore dust flies easily into the air. Pollutants and smoke from vehicles and burning of wood add to it.