‘Mumbai gasping, state needs to act fast to clear the air’
The city witnessed very few ‘extremely polluted’ air days this year, thanks to five tropical cyclones in the Arabian Sea and a prolonged monsoon that swept away pollutants. However, with several studies pointing out that Mumbai is one of the most polluted cities in India, experts warned of a looming crisis if the state fails to take appropriate remedial measures.
One of the most polluted megacities
According to a study released by the System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research in June, Mumbai’s air toxicity — the percentage share of tiny pollutant particles or the toxic density of particulate matter (PM) 2.5 microns and 10 microns in size — was almost double of that of Delhi. PM consists of tiny particles in the air that can easily enter the lungs and cause health ailments. The study also stated the vehicle density for every kilometre in Mumbai was among the highest in India, leading to traffic congestion and worsening air quality. “Black carbon combustion owing to biofuel emissions and high moisture allowing secondary aerosol formation was found to be more in Mumbai than in Delhi,” said Gufran Beig, project director, SAFAR.
With an 80% increase in the concentration of annual average PM10 from 2007 to 2018, Mumbai has been ranked as one of the most polluted megacities in the world by the World Health Organisation. PM10 levels in 2018 were also the highest in 20 years. A more recent study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi, also stated that Mumbai is the most polluted city in peninsular India.
Experts slam state for slow action
Despite the bad news, the state government has been slow in framing remedial measures, said experts. The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB)’s air pollution action plan, which seeks to reduce PM concentration by 20% to 30% in the next five years under the National Clean Air Program (NCAP), had to be revised twice after it was rejected by the Centre. Environmentalists and citizens said MPCB’s plan was “poorly drafted and inadequate”. “The plan of action should be better classified in terms of each sector, with quantified targets which can be monitored easily,” said Anumita Roy Choudhury, executive director, CSE. “Based on current emissions, a 60% reduction in emission sources is needed to meet the clean air standards proposed under NCAP,” she said. SN Tripathi, professor, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, stressed on the need to conduct measurement-based source apportionment studies at least once in two years to track emission changes on priority.
However, Sudhir Srivastava, chairman, MPCB, said there would be an improvement in pollution levels in the coming years owing to the NCAP mandates, the continued emphasis on spreading awareness among stakeholders and the planned efforts. “We are looking at strengthening the air quality measurement network, coordinating with local bodies to reduce emissions from construction waste, moving towards cleaner fuels by April 2020, and strengthening the public transport network,” said Srivastava. “We have worked towards identifying air pollution at traffic junctions using drones. We are studying the feasibility of electric bikes, flexible working hours to reduce traffic congestion [specifically for areas like Lower Parel], and conducting location-wise studies on micro-climatic conditions affecting air quality.”
Action plan
Experts pointed out that despite facing an air pollution crisis, Mumbai does not collect optimal data on pollution. MPCB published real-time air quality information for 15 locations in Mumbai Metropolitan Region 16 months after the monitoring stations were inaugurated. Ronak Sutaria, founder and director, UrbanSciences, an independent air quality monitoring group, said that according to most conservative estimates, Mumbai needs at least 60 air quality monitors to track pollution vis-à-vis the effect seen in Delhi. “However, growing public discourse around air pollution has been significant in 2019. Air quality data has empowered citizens to question policies,” he said.
Dr Swapnil Mehta, consultant (pulmonology) at Dr L H Hiranandani Hospital, Powai, said, with worsening air quality, the number of asthma cases in Mumbai has increased. Other scientists said that rather than following norms set under an action plan for every city, the state needs to study why Mumbai needs a sustainable transport system. “Unless we have legislation through punitive action, things will not change,” said Anjal Prakash, coordinating lead author of one of United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) publications.
Across the world, many countries have tackled air pollution challenges successfully. For example, the air quality in St. Louis in 1939 was as bad as it is in many Indian cities, said Pratim Biswas, the Lucy and Stanley Lopata Professor, Washington University in St Louis, USA, and member of National Academy of Engineering. “With sound policy and technological interventions, the problem was solved. It is time to take action to reduce the emissions from these sources. There is a need for collaborative efforts to tackle this problem,” he said.