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Mumbai: From developing and maintaining robust flood management systems to increasing urban green spaces to improve air quality and reduce the heat island effect, from building a movement towards adopting renewable energy to water conservation through rainwater harvesting systems and ground water recharging, a range of subjects that pose challenges—and opportunities for resilience—in Mumbai’s future were discussed by expert practitioners at a seminar organised at the IMC Chamber of Commerce & Industry in Churchgate on Thursday.
Titled ‘Making Mumbai Future Ready - The Sustainable Way’, the event saw speakers including editor-activist Bittu Sahgal, water conservation proponent Rajesh Choudhary, Prerana Langa of Aga Khan Agency for Habitat, Anjali Parasnis of the 2030 Water Resources Group hosted by the World Bank Group and Pratibha Pai of Project Chirag, among others.
Sahgal kicked off discussions by saying that the time for activism alone has passed, and corporate India and entities such as various industry chambers must take on the task of reducing reliance on carbon-intensive processes. “We're facing the consequences of excessive carbon emissions, with unpredictable weather and rising temperatures becoming the norm,” Sahgal said. “The real challenge lies in addressing long-term economic issues today, as the world has focused on short-term gains for decades.”
Dhanpal Jhaveri, CEO of Eversource and vice-president of the Everstone Group, spoke about initiatives through private investments that have collectively reduced CO2 emissions. “We've also contracted to set up a waste-to-energy plant processing 5600 tons of waste daily,” he said. “This exemplifies the potential for innovative urban development to create jobs, enhance biodiversity, and align with sustainable growth strategies.”
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Parasnis, the technical coordinator for the 2030 World Resources Group, said she dreamt of a Mumbai where, not unlike the water sports being conducted in the Seine in Paris at the 2024 Olympics, water bodies in Indian cities including Mumbai would also be ready for swimming meets by 2036. “Addressing microplastic pollution is critical, as it impacts human health and the environment. Research shows the widespread presence of microplastics in our food and water,” Parasnis said, calling for collective action to restore the natural beauty and status of our rivers and wetlands.
While Choudhary spoke about rain water harvesting using city roofs and grey water recycling, Neelakantan Aiyar of non-profit Keshav Srushti presented their work on growing forests using the fast-growing Miyawaki technique in several parts of the city. Keshav Srushti also uses organic waste in their self-composted manure, using particularly flower waste from the city’s religious shrines.
The seminar also included a panel discussion on how media advocacy work may better prepare the city for the transition to a greener economy. This discussion featured Partha Sinha, president & chief brand officer, Bennett Coleman & Co, who spoke about the equation between the economy and ecology; Neeraj Roy of Hungama Digital Media Entertainment and Abhishek Karnani, director of The Free Press Journal.
Organised by the IMC in association with Ramesh Narayan, founder, CanCo advertising , the event was an initiative to initiate a long-term dialogue on the importance of sustainability and effects of climate change encompassing key themes including rain water harvesting, urban forestry, waste water recycling, rural sustainability, individual carbon footprints, media’s contribution, the use of plastic and disaster management.
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