Mumbai: With 10 days remaining for the most-anticipated municipal elections, the environment activists have urged citizens of all 29 municipal corporations, predominantly Mumbai, which has been recording an air quality index (AQI) in the poorest category and rampant destruction of green cover over the last couple of years, to ‘Vote for Clean Air’.
The volunteers of Mission Green Mumbai (MGM) have released an open letter to candidates contesting BMC elections, stating, “Mumbai stands at a critical crossroads where environmental health, public well-being, and urban development must move forward together. We humbly urge you, upon being elected, to place Clean Air, Climate Action, and Green Infrastructure at the core of your governance priorities.”
MCM founder Subhajit Mukherjee said, “Clean Air is not a privilege but a basic right. Environmental governance today will determine Mumbai’s livability tomorrow. We need to look forward to leaders who act beyond short-term gains and work for a sustainable, healthy, and climate-resilient Mumbai.”
The key points in the open letter to improve city’s AQI include: Strengthening and expanding real-time Air Quality Monitoring, strict implementation of pollution control norms for construction, traffic, and industries; public awareness on health impacts of air pollution; large-scale native tree plantation with survival audits, protection of existing trees, mangroves, wetlands; adoption of Miyawaki forests, urban gardens; Mandatory Rainwater Harvesting in new and existing buildings; restoration of natural water bodies, sponge gardens and flood-mitigation green infrastructure; 100% waste segregation at source, composting of wet waste and reduction of landfill burden among others.
Environment activist Natasha Pereira, who has been at the forefront of human chain protests in Mumbai demanding clean air said, “The CRZ regulations diluted by the BJP in 2019, opened up for green spaces for development and due increase of FSI. Ever since that CRZ, Mumbai has been opened up for concreting and redevelopment beginning from the year 2020 onwards, drastic reduction of greenery and an increase in concrete jungle. There are well-conditioned buildings rampantly going for redevelopments when several C1, C2 category dilapidated buildings remain a risk to occupants’ lives.”
“Apart from vehicular pollution and industries, it is the redevelopment projects causing immense dust pollution, thereby worsening the AQI,” she added.
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