Actress Juhi Chawla has expressed concern over a strange burnt-fuel smell in the air in Mumbai, questioning its possible source amid growing worries about air pollution. Writing on her official X account on November 12, she asked whether anyone knew what the odour was, describing it as almost like kerosene or diesel and saying she had noticed it for several days, from early morning and at different times through the day.

The concern comes as air quality remains a major issue in metropolitan cities such as Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Pune and Kolkata, with several regions recording high pollution levels in the days following Diwali celebrations. Mumbai's AQI was recorded at 121 on Friday, November 13, placing it in the 'Poor' category, even as the city experienced a drop in minimum temperatures.S1

Under the standard AQI classification followed by AQI.in, readings between 0 and 50 are considered 'Good', 51 to 100 fall under 'Satisfactory' or 'Moderate' depending on the classification system, 101 to 200 are 'Poor', 201 to 300 are 'Very Poor', and levels above 300 are 'Severe'. Coverage of Chawla's post also drew attention to the remarks of fellow actress Soni Razdan, who had raised similar concerns about the air, indicating the smell has become a talking point among residents.S1S2