Just how bad is the air in Mumbai, MCAP tells BMC to find out

Transportation accounts for 30.5 per cent of the city`s air pollution, making it the city`s most dominant source of pollution. Representation pic

In a first for any city across India yet, the ambitious Mumbai Climate Action Plan (MCAP) has proposed that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) address the issue of personal /direct exposure to different air pollution risks to locals in Mumbai through a data survey. MCAP has emphasised that the survey should be carried out at the ward levels within the next three to six months this year.

Assessing air pollution exposure risk means the direct impact on individuals living within a region from harmful pollutants like particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, ozone among others.

The civic officials have confirmed the development and have said that the civic body is already working on forming teams at the ward level to carry out the surveys. "As of now, we are in the process of forming teams at ward levels. These teams will then carry out the data survey," informed Sunil Sardar, Official on Special Duty - BMC Environment department.

The survey is expected to be executed ward wise through assistant municipal commissioners as well as BMC's medical officers of health (MoH) at each of the 24 administrative wards.

The plan

So far, no city in India including Delhi with critical AQI and other polluted north Indian cities have managed to undertake a city-wide approach to assess personal exposure to different air pollution risks.

Sardar added, "While there have been efforts at national and state level across the country to deal with environmental issues, MCAP is a first of its kind plan as it is a consolidated effort at the city level, based on the points laid down by the C 40 cities network."

Environmentalists have long demanded that the BMC issue public health warnings on days when Mumbai's air quality deteriorates.

The BMC has in its budget 2022-23 announced that it will install 128 sensor-based systems to monitor air quality and provide real-time data within four sq km each, making Mumbai's air quality network the largest in India. This the official stated will make forecasting and also issuing health warnings on poor air quality days a lot easier now.

A non-attainment city

Mumbai is one of Maharashtra's 18 non-attainment cities. A non-attainment city does not fulfil the Union Environment Ministry's stipulated air quality requirements. Transportation, which accounts for 30.5 per cent of the city's air pollution (making it the city's most dominant source of pollution), industries and power industry (18 per cent), domestic burning (15 per cent), and windblown pollutants (15 per cent), which includes the significant impact of construction dust, are among the contributing causes.

Assessing the risk of residents being exposed to pollution complements this requirement by attempting to understand the sources and concentrations of dangerous pollutants. "This ward-by-ward evaluation, when combined with the aims of the National Clean Air Program and the MCAP, can help limit particular sources within the city and address the issue to its core," said another BMC official.

Areas with bad air

Areas with bad air quality Wards in Mumbai which have been identified as very critical due to bad air quality include M East which comprises areas such as Deonar, Govandi, Mankhurd, Trombay and M west (Mahul, Chembur). Mahul, Ambapada and Chembur areas in the ward have been compared to the ‘Gas Chamber' by the National Green Tribunal (NGT). M east and M west is followed by F north (Antop Hill, Sion, Wadala) and N ward (Ghatkopar and Vikhroli West).