Mumbaiites send suggestions to MPCB to get city’s air pollution action plan passed

Activists have submitted source-wise recommendations for Mumbai’s air pollution action plan to the state, after the Centre twice rejected it. A group of around 80 civil society organisations, think tanks, citizen groups and experts – Clean Air Collective – has submitted the 32 recommendations to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), citing lack of public consultations while developing the plan.

“The action plan will directly affect the air that almost 24 million residents are breathing in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR),” said Debi Goenka, member of the Clean Air Collective.

With an 80% increase in the concentration of annual average particulate matter 10 (PM10) witnessed over a 12-year period (2007-2018), Mumbai is the most polluted of the country’s three major coastal cities.

“The existing air pollution network is inadequate, and it is necessary to install at least 68 continuous air monitoring stations within Mumbai. There needs to be a clear timeline for procurement and installation of continuous monitoring stations. Real-time and health advisories need to be made public,” read one of the major recommendations.

MPCB was required to submit air pollution mitigation plans for 18 cities under the National Clean Air Action Plan (NACP), released by the Union environment ministry in January, with an aim to reduce emission sources by 30% by 2024. HT had reported on August 29 that Mumbai was the only megacity in the country asked to revise its air pollution action plan twice by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

MPCB chairman Sudhir Srivastava said citizens’ cooperation is required for the success of the plan. “For example, the recommendation regarding shared mobility and enhancing public transport network is vital. For this, involvement of citizens for effective implementation is needed. We welcome the submissions made by the group,” he said.