Mumbai AQI: Warnings were in the air last year; we ignored them

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Almost as soon as the monsoon clouds began their withdrawal from over the west coast came the rude wake-up call, ringing unusually early.

After a couple of days of clear skies amid the receding rains, Mumbai was suddenly blanketed by dirty smog.

For over two weeks, the city has been jostling for the top spot in the list of cities with the poorest air, on bad days registering worse air than even Delhi or Beijing. As always, the civic administration woke up late, issuing ‘guidelines' for construction sites, having identified them as the chief culprit.

What happens to the measures remains to be seen, but only the most forgetful of Mumbaikars will deny that the warning signs were there last year.

For instance, we shouldn't forget that last winter (November 2022-January 2023) saw Mumbai witness its worst air quality ever. This year, we already appear to be on course to break that record, unless emergency steps are taken.

The administration needs to urgently adopt a two-pronged response to the impending catastrophe - one for the short term, before the cooler weeks set in the days to come, and one for the long term, to ensure that Mumbai doesn't feature ever again alongside perennial backbenchers in the AQI race to the bottom. For the short term, it already has a plan - sprinklers, anti-dust machines and taller barricading for under-construction buildings. Even if it diligently follows its own promise, the city 's air will only become slightly better to breathe. But it will be better than doing nothing.

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The long-term solution will require much deeper thinking and research. It will also involve bringing on board all stakeholders like the real-estate, automobile, and industrial sectors. Only when all the polluters are made to acknowledge that they have a stake in this city's well-being will a permanent solution take shape.