City-based anti-pollution activist and Convenor of Awaaz foundation Sumaira Abdulali has written to BMC commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal demanding that the Mumbai civic body must issue Public Health Warnings on days when the Air Quality Index (AQI) rises beyond safe health limits and reaches Poor, Very Poor or severe/critical levels. Organisations across the state have been demanding that urban local bodies (ULB) must mandatorily issue timely health advisories publicly to alert citizens about ‘bad air days’ which will help save vulnerable groups from severe impacts of air pollution on their health.
Despite geographical advantages and favourable meteorology, air pollution is rapidly becoming a matter of concern in Maharashtra, especially in Mumbai. Over the last two weeks, Mumbai - India’s financial capital has witnessed its highest-ever Air Pollution levels since city-wide intensive air monitoring was initiated in 2015. Mumbai’s AQI breached the 500 mark on January 24 - January 25 and again witnessed very high AQI (over 300) during the first week of February. " The deteriorating air quality in the city and the neighbouring states was attributed to two dust storms that originated in the Middle East, Afghanistan, Pakistan and surrounding regions that had brought dust and haze to northwestern Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. These incidences, however, cannot be dismissed as one-off events affecting the city's air pollution, since poor air quality and its impact on health has become a significant concern for Mumbai not just during the winter months, but throughout the year," said Abdulali.
Several studies have already shown the impact of air pollution on not only respiratory organs but also the brain and even reproductive organs. Last year a first pan-India study conducted by scientists from four institutes across the country found a direct correlation between air pollution. The study stated that areas with poor air quality and higher emissions of particulate matter (PM) 2.5 are more likely to have Covid-19 infections and related deaths.
Abdulali further said: "Mumbai is one of Maharashtra's 18 non-attainment cities. A non-attainment city is one that does not fulfil the Union Environment Ministry's stipulated air quality requirements. Transportation, which accounts for 30.5 % of the city's air pollution (making it the city's most dominant source of pollution), industries and power industry (18%), domestic burning (15%), and windblown pollutants (15%), which includes the significant impact of construction dust, are among the contributing causes."
Public Health Warnings are mandated by the National Clean Air Action Plan (NCAP). They are to be implemented by every ULB of the 132 non-attainment cities on days when air quality severely deteriorates and is unhealthy for citizens. The design for forecasting AQI and issuing health warnings will lead to increased public awareness and ultimately, a decrease in health risk.
"The BMC, with strong outreach to citizens through multiple dispersal sources can use its social media platforms and can make it mandatory for radio channels, cinema halls, shopping malls, and other places where large crowds gather to prominently display the AQI levels of Mumbai. A Public Health Warning would greatly benefit all citizens of Mumbai who suffer from air pollution-related health hazards and would demonstrate the BMC and Government’s commitment to safeguarding health in line with stated aspirations to achieve Climate-40," stated Abdulali in her letter to the BMC chief.
