Mumbai Meri Jaan

This winter in Mumbai shows a ‘poor’ category of air quality throughout the city. Here is a review of various aspects that impact AQI and the standards we follow.

Quite eminent is to address catastrophe for high density populated coastal city, Mumbai, with ocean capitalising on three sides. Air quality education to create awareness and provide practical solutions can help sustain a healthy living and working environment.

With the onset of winter, Mumbai is facing the worst AQI (air quality index). During the second and third weeks of December, Mumbai’s AQI was in the ‘poor’ category. As known, the AQI between zero and 50 is considered good, 51 and 100 satisfactory, and 101 and 200 moderate. However, Mumbai recorded the Air Quality Index (AQI) of 316, considered very poor, higher than Delhi’s AQI at 263. An AQI between 201 and 300 is considered poor, 301-400 very poor, and above 401 indicates severeness.

According to SAFAR, Mumbai’s air quality index was 308 under the worst category in Delhi’s 262 recently, and during November, Mumbai’s AQI was also poorer than Delhi’s. The current toxic air trend in Mumbai is due to the dip in temperature and still winds, contributing to high air pollution. For the second time this winter, the maximum air quality in Mumbai was worse, way behind Delhi, the national capital.

The pollutants monitored especially included sulphur dioxide (SO2 ), lead (Pb), carbon monoxide (CO) and ozone. Concentration levels of Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) were more than the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) recommended acceptable level of 60 µg/ m3. But the recorded levels of RSPM have been unsuitable in the areas around Mumbai, Kalyan, Pune and Chandrapur. These industrialised areas are experiencing increased vehicular movement due to increased trade. Mumbai has buses, trains, metered autos and taxis, two airports and an extensive network of expressways and highways. Many public buses are older vehicles that create a large amount of airborne pollution that needs replacing with cleaner, more fuel-efficient ones. Moreover, all industrial regions in Mumbai produce large quantities of pollution from automobiles and dust generated by the construction industry and factories.

There is no difference of thought and opinion that due to the dust, car fumes, heavy traffic, and increased building activity, Mumbai’s air quality has worsened. Mumbai is active n mammoth ways, developing high rises in the city, metro and tunnel connectivity, and demolitions taking shape in new buildings. Construction has been becoming a continual phenomenon.

Current impact on Mumbai city According to a recent air quality study conducted by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), the worst air quality sites were found in Thane, Pune, Nagpur, Aurangabad and Raigad, besides Mumbai.

PM2.5 air pollution in Mumbai is causing estimated deaths of 14,000 lives lives since January 1, 2021. It has cost the city’s economy around US $2.1 billion so far this year. ‘Source: Greenpeace’

Mumbai – select Locations Air Pollution Level in this winter Ravi Kaushik, Air Quality Expert, IIT Bombay Alumnus and CEO at AIRTH, explains, “If we look into the historical air quality data of Mumbai, it is evident that only during the monsoon season in Mumbai the air quality remains good. However, during monsoon, we have a lot of moisture in the air, leading to a lot of microbial growth indoors. We can safely assume that the indoor air quality in the buildings and homes in Mumbai will be worse than outside air pollution.”

The contributors are the sources such as fuel-burning combustion applianceslike stoves; Tobacco products. US EPA also mentions sources like building materials and furnishings as diverse as household cleaning and maintenance products,  personal care, Central heating and cooling systems and humidification devices, including excess moisture.

Barun Aggarwal, the Founder and CEO of BreatheEasy Consultants Pvt. Ltd., says, “The impact on the city will be of long-term nature – as people started to realise that the air in Mumbai is as bad or worse than Delhi’s on certain days. This may lead to lower demand for real estate. The people in the city will suffer, and the health burden will go up.”

How sound is air quality!
During the second week of December, air quality in Malad stood at 311. It was the worst, followed by Mazgaon, Chembur (303), and Andheri at 300. The Bandra Kurla Complex, with 269, came under the poor category.

Air pollution is among the most severe health crises of our time. Ozone is frequently found in polluted air. Breathing causes chest pain, coughing and inflammation of the airways. It can also harm lung tissue. They all lead to increased medical care. The immediate impact of air pollution can be seen in people suffering from lung or heart-related issues, old age, and sick people. The breathing of polluted air will cause long-term effects. The fine dust particles slowly harm the lungs, and extra fine particles (< 1 um) will get mixed with our bloodstream and harm other organs. This slow process will start showing effects after a few weeks, years, or decades but it will lead to long-term illness at later stages of our life. It is proven that air pollution is linked to mental and physical well-being, asserts Ravi.

Continued exposure to poor air can lead to various respiratory and cardiovascular problems. Short-term exposure to delicate particulate matter in the air (known as PM2.5) is associated with several newly identified causes of hospital admissions, even at levels below international air quality guidelines. This finds a study by the research team at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health. As such, this study “discovered several new causes of hospital admissions associated with short-term exposure to PM2.5 and confirmed several already known associations, even at daily PM2.5 concentrations below the current WHO guideline.”

Comparing the average air quality levels of India and America, it was found that the air pollution inhaled by an Indian in 1 year is equivalent to air pollution inhaled in 10 years by an American. It means a 7-year-old child in India will inhale air pollutants that a 70-year-old American will inhale during his life. So, consider the seriousness of the matter.

Dr. Gufran Beig, Founder and Project Director, SAFAR, said, “The visibility across Mumbai has taken a hit. This means that both fine and coarse particulate matter is high in Mumbai’s air. If industries or refineries are the major sources of air pollution, then only the fine particulate matter or PM2.5 would have been high. Thus, construction dust (part of residential emissions) has led to an increase in Pm2.5 and PM10, worsening Mumbai’s air quality.” According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), stagnant winds, temperature drops, and suspended pollutants mixing with moisture in the atmosphere are causing haze across the metropolis. The worst possible pollutant is the microscopic particle known as PM2.5. PM10 are similar to PM2.5, but they differ in size. PM10 measures less than 10 micrometres. But they may get inhaled and cause health problems. There are many side effects of breathing poor-quality air. Poor air also increases the possibility of developing asthma and allergies. A headache, fatigue and shortness of breath can also be attributed to poor air quality.

Industry experts’ opinion: The way out
According to the United Nations, an analysis of current health crises goes like this: “Health crisis is responsible for seven million premature deaths every year. And WHO says the respiratory system is the primary route by which people are exposed to air pollution.” One must understand what this means to one’s health and take necessary measures to protect themselves and their family. Ravi’s analysis of air pollution says, “This is a reality check for all of us. Everyone believes that the polluted air of Mumbai is flushed towards the ocean. Further, there is no air pollution source through crop burning. This nullifies our assumption that air pollution is a problem only in the northern part of India.”

Dr. Kirti Sabnis, Infectious Disease Specialist at Fortis Hospital, stated, “We have seen an increased footfall of patients, mainly kids or patients who have a history of bronchial asthma, lung complications, or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). These patients tend to have increased cough, cold, and short-duration fever when there is a change in weather.”

As Mumbai AQI worsened than Delhi’s, doctors advised people to take precautionary measures like wearing masks, especially those with respiratory illnesses, while stepping out. We all need to be aware of the harm air pollution does to our mental and physical health. There is irreversible damage to our lungs, and we should act now. Talking about repercussions, Barun states, “Air quality in Mumbai has been poor for quite a while now. It has only just become “visible” in the last few weeks of November-December. This pollution is harmful to Mumbai’s residents as short-term, and long-term health impacts are associated with it.”

According to Dr. Radhika Banka, Consultant, Pulmonary Medicine, Hinduja Hospital, Khar, the increasing cause of respiratory system is the sudden shift in weather and ambient temperatures, poor air quality, and an increasingly unhealthy lifestyle that lowers natural immunity. Her viewpoint reflects poor air quality, in particular, is playing a significant role because of increased construction and fossil fuel combustion is adding significantly to indoor and outdoor air pollution.”

Mumbai’s civic body, BMC, has devised an action plan to improve air quality. All 24 administrative wards have been directed to take immediate remedial measures to deal with the rise in AQI levels. The second step is cleaning road dust, sprinkling water, and identifying air pollution hotspots and micro hotspots. The consultants held a special meeting during December’s first week with the civic body and pointed to 4 wards that showed a rise much above 200 in AQI levels. Areas like Colaba-Churchgate, Mankhurd, Borivali, and Malad are found to be the most affected.

Managing the pollution
On a conclusive note, the general public is encouraged to take it upon themselves to use fewer fossil fuels in their homes. They should adapt to using clean, renewable energy, where possible. “With higher air pollution, we have to spend extra energy to cool the unseen dust particles in the air. This makes our cooling system less efficient and increases the electricity cost.” Implementing the Bharat Stage VI, the most advanced emissions standards is a positive step towards reducing air pollution in Maharashtra. The latest air quality reports suggest that the air quality in most of Maharashtra is improving. The State Government has also instructed the various local governments to take stricter control over household waste management. The formation of citizen groups has been established that can ensure local industries and factories are conforming to the anti-pollution measures laid down by the government.

The introduction of the National Clear Air Programme, announced earlier this year by the central government, aims to reduce air pollution in India by reducing the most harmful PM2.5 pollutants. However, the latest air quality reports suggest that the air quality in most of Maharashtra is improving.