Air Quality Assessment and Spatiotemporal Dynamics of PM 10 , NO x , and SO 2 in Navi Mumbai, India (2014–2023): A GIS‐Based Weighted Overlay Approach

ABSTRACT Air pollution remains one of the most serious environmental problems in Indian cities. The problem carries severe implications for health and sustainability. This paper analyses the spatiotemporal variability in the levels of essential air pollutants PM 10 , NO x , and SO x in the city of Navi Mumbai over the last ten years (2014–2023). The analysis has been conducted using GIS techniques, considering 23 stations in the city. The Comprehensive Pollution Index has been created using three methods: Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW), Raster Reclassification, and Weighted Overlay. It was established that PM 10 is the predominating air pollutant causing poor air quality in Navi Mumbai, with winter and pre‐monsoon seasons having higher air pollution levels and hotspots predominating in the industrial and traffic areas. Monsoon season contributed significantly to a reduction in air pollutant concentrations, while the lockdown caused by the COVID‐19 pandemic led to a consequent reduction in air pollution levels in 2020. The results have established that in both industrial and traffic‐affected areas, air pollutant levels exceed all permissible limits, and thus such areas remain vital zones to target for controlling air pollution. The study results suggest that urgent action is required to control air pollution emissions, target air pollution mitigation measures according to seasonality, and incorporate them with neighborhood planning. Results provide relevant recommendations to policymakers and planners to target air pollution mitigation actions by season and to integrate them with neighborhood planning in a rapidly developing coastal region such as Navi Mumbai.