Frustrated by recurring spikes in air pollution and what they call a lack of reliable data, residents of Chembur are now trying to build a citywide citizens’ coalition to track, question, and fight Mumbai’s air quality crisis. Armed with community sensors, complaint records, and pollution data, residents say the problem is no longer local but pan-Mumbai, with areas like Bandra, Santacruz, Deonar and Ghatkopar repeatedly appearing among the city’s worst pollution hotspots.

A screenshot showing an AQI reading of 890 recorded by a community sensor in Chembur around 3 am, highlighting the sudden pollution spike residents say they have observed