Poor air quality in Mumbai: Lawyer serves legal notice to BMC and MPCB

Saif Alam, lawyer

A lawyer from Mumbai has issued legal notice to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), urging them to fulfil their promise of installing citywide air purifiers, as outlined in the civic body's budget document. Saif Alam, the lawyer, emphasised that the legal notice serves as a compelling plea to prompt the civic body into action, as air quality across the city is plummeting.

Speaking to mid-day, Alam said, "This is just October. As we move into proper winter months, the air quality will start deteriorating even further. What is alarming is that in the past few days we have even surpassed AQI of Delhi. It's time BMC acts and does something to control the problem right now, before it gets out
of control."

"The air quality since the start of the month has been dangerous. The current PM2.5 concentration in Mumbai is 5.2 times above the recommended limit given by the WHO. The PM2.5 air pollution in Mumbai has caused an estimated 14,000 deaths since January 1, 2021. It has cost the city's economy around US $2.1 billion so far this year. For the past one week, the AQI in Mumbai is over 200 in many parts of the city. I am a patient of Pertussis (whooping cough) and understand this grave situation and what it must be doing to those who suffer from respiratory diseases. It is also dangerous for children. BMC promised during the budget to install air purifiers in the city after CM Eknath Shinde intervened on the issue of air pollution in the city. But, nothing has been done yet," added Alam.

A bird's-eye view of the smog covering Malad on Friday. Pic/Nimesh Dave

As part of the budget plan, the BMC chief, during his budget speech in February this year, announced an elaborate seven-step plan to combat air pollution in the city.

The civic body announced a slew of measures and also allotted R25 crore towards specifically improving air quality for the first time. As an urgent and immediate measure, BMC had decided to sprinkle water on footpaths and roads to reduce dust.

Introducing Road Dust Reduction Measures in his budget speech, BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal had announced that E-power sweepers for dust cleaning would be brought in, Procurement of sprinklers to settle the dust on roads and footpaths, deployment of vehicle-mounted misting equipment, deployment of vehicle-mounted air purification units, ionic air purification system for dust mitigation. BMC had also decided to set up air purifiers at five crowded locations in the city. None of these measures have been implemented fully in the city.

‘Waste of money'

Activists and experts have, however, said that installing air purifiers is no solution and will be a waste of public money. Bhagwan Kesbhat, founder, Waatavaran Foundation said, "The civic body should not waste public funds on failed solutions like smog towers and air purifiers as there is no scientific proof available to show that these have worked. Also, several scientists and experts have categorically opposed these solutions as ineffective."

"Citizens are so worried about the health impacts of air pollution that they have no option but to push for any solution to safeguard their health," he added.
He said Waatavaran would create awareness on these false solutions and advocate both long- and short-term solutions including strict implementation of Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste guidelines by developers and investing in robust as well as hyperlocal monitoring mechanisms, to tackle air pollution.

Even officials from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) have asserted that technologies like smog towers and air purifiers are still in the testing phase and cannot be considered a permanent solution to the air pollution issue. A CPCB official emphasized, "The ultimate solution to pollution lies in its control at the source."

Alam said, "If not air purifiers, the BMC and MPCB, must form an expert committee on priority and come up with workable solutions to tackle the problem of air pollution at source."