As the air quality in Mumbai continued to deteriorate throughout the month, activists and residents gathered on Sunday afternoon at the Carter Road promenade in Bandra to demand cleaner air. Nearly 70 people formed a human chain along the stretch, holding placards and raising slogans to draw attention from passersby and the authorities.
Activists call for public participation
As per a report by The Hindustan Times, Natasha Pereira, an environmental activist who organised the gathering, said, "We are trying to tell people that the air we are breathing is worsening. People must wake up and take whatever action they can in their own way.”
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The usually busy promenade, with joggers and weekend visitors, reverberated with messages for cleaner air. There were innumerable posters, but a few read: “Breathless is a song, not my reality”, and “Trees are the simple solution for air pollution.”
Pollutants rise; citizens urged to reduce vehicle use
According to activists, Ozone and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), mainly emitted from vehicle emissions, were the major pollutants this month. Social activist Lalita Deonalli said, "We tried urging the people to avoid using their vehicles at least for short-distance travels."
Several participants pointed out that people need to act and not just rely on the authorities. "Every other building on the block is going under redevelopment, the citizens can ask their own developers to follow the guidelines put out by the civic body," said environmental activist Aditi Kane. She said residents can ask developers to retain the trees or transplant them. "The citizens should check the environmental clearances given to the developers and whether they are following it," she said.
Accountability beyond authorities
According to the report by The Hindustan Times, Nitin Kumar of Chembur, who cycled to Bandra, added, “Everyone is accountable for the air pollution, while the authorities are responsible for policy-level decisions, the citizens are responsible too.” He said he travels by bicycle as often as possible. “Instead of taking a bike to run errands, we can just take a cycle,” he added.
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Delay in action, say activists
Activists also pointed to delayed official responses. Furhan Shaikh said, “The civic body only started taking action against the construction sites when the air quality started deteriorating; this should be done year-round.” He suggested approving redevelopment and infrastructure projects in phases to prevent excessive dust during winter.
After the monsoon ended, Mumbai’s air quality deteriorated, as the AQI remained in the moderate category for 24 of 30 days in November. There were several pockets that reported consistently poor air, such as Deonar, Malad, and Mazgaon. In response to worsening conditions, the BMC issued a graded response action plan last week.
