|
|
|
|
The air we breathe in Mumbai
The air we breath in Mumbai was poisoned
by Chlorine gas leak from the Sewri industrial area before few days. Now our beautiful sea is continued to poisoned by oil spill and
chemicals. Two Panamanian cargo ships - MSC Chitra and MV Khalijia 111 - collided on August 7, 2010 off the Mumbai
coast causing an oil spill from one of the vessels. Oil continued to spill for
several days even as anti-pollution operations are being carried out by the Navy and
Coast Guard to check and neutralise the oil. Describing the ship collision off the coast of Mumbai as a “freak accident”,
environment minister Jairam Ramesh said that India has never seen an oil spill like the one resulting from the incident.
"Polluter must pay and polluter will pay," the Union environment and
forest minister Jairam Ramesh told the Rajya Sabha on August
17, 2010 in reply to a short duration question, on the oil spill resulting from the collision of vessels.
On August 17, 2010 it is reported that nearly 100 containers that fell into the waters following the collision
between two merchant vessels off the Mumbai coast are still missing and two of them are carrying hazardous chemicals.
The marine life here is contaminated. This has been confirmed by initial
reports carried out by the state government. "Tests on some fish have been done. Some contamination has been
detected," said Ashok Chavan, Chief Minister, Maharashtra. The oil slick has even entered the sensitive
mangrove belt. While the government is working towards a swift clean up, environmentalists fear
it may be too late. "Removing oil from the sea, the entire thing will take 45 days.
On Wednesday, the 14th July, 2010 Chlorine gas leak from the Sewri industrial area on land owned by the Mumbai Port
Trust. Nearly 76 people were treated in hospital and 10 people were in intensive care after the gas leak.
The land owned by the Mumbai Port Trust is an industrial area mainly
used for storage and delivery of cargo and containers. It has many derelict factories and warehouses and is also home to a slum. |
Oil continued to spill from
sinking ship at Mumbai
coast
Chlorine gas leak from
the Sewri industrial area. |
|
|
A step to reduce pollution and ease traffic congestion in Mumbai
The first bridge built over the sea in India
Congress president Sonia Gandhi inaugurated the first bridge to be built over the sea in India
on July 1, 2009. in Mumbai. It was built to ease traffic congestion and to cut traveling time between the western suburbs of Bandra with Worli
over the Arabian Sea. It has eight lanes and aims to reduce journey time from 45 to six minutes.
The sea link is being hailed for reducing the travel time from Bandra to Worli to seven minutes from the current 40. This could help save fuel and
reduce pollution. An estimated 50,000 vehicles are set to ply on the eight-lane wonder. The city has more than a million vehicles. Officials say the bridge is a way to ease Mumbai's traffic problems. But the critics do not believe the bridge will help ease traffic congestion in a city which adds several hundred new vehicles to its roads every
day.
Mr Jairam Ramesh announced recently that the setting up of new private helipads would not be permitted
infuriating many, but also earning the support of other citizens. The
Maharashtra government had sought clearance for four helipads to be used in emergencies as well as for security purposes. Mr Ramesh has said
he will give permission only for government-owned helipads but not privately-owned ones to be built on rooftops of highrise buildings. At
present, some businessmen have their own helipads while many others are interested in acquiring them.
Mumbai's first monorail
One more step to ease traffic congestion and pollution is the
trial run of Mumbai's first monorail on 61st Republic Day of India. The trial run of Rs 2, 460 crore monorail project will be done on a 108 metre track at
Wadala. The proposed route of this monorail is between Jacob Circle and
Chembur will be ready by the year 2011, The Monorail Mumbai will be a substitute of local trains and other road transportation. According to the sources, initially, 14 Monorails with four coaches each with the capacity of 500 passengers .
The Mono Rail is free of air and noise pollution. It will also help save all the fuel needed for public and private transport. And the
vibration-free Mono will save Mumbaikars’ time too! Once completed, the Mono rail will soon take the city towards reduced pollution and carbon emissions. Since the Mono Rail does not require any fossil fuel for its
operation it remains free of air pollution and as it runs on a narrow 0.8-meter beam with the help of rubber tyres it makes very little noise.
Monitoring bio-medical waste for disposal
Now all vehicles carrying hazardous bio-medical waste for disposal in
Maharashtra will be monitored with global positioning system (GPS) devices fitted on them, vo/a pollution board official said.
The system has been designed and implemented for the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) by TATA AutoComp.
Mobility Telematics. MPCB is the first state-level pollution control authority in India to
use the sophisticated tracking device to check proper collection and
disposal of bio-medical wastes to prevent environmental damage and health hazards, the official claimed.
MPCB has fitted the GPS devices on more than 140 of its trucks to trace their movements online from a control centre.
Mumbai pedals for green cause
'Burn fat, not fuel' was the message that participants were trying to spread as Mumbai witnessed it's first ever Cyclothon on February 21, 2010. With over 7,000
participants at the Mumbai Cyclothon 2010, the event boasted of six different categories and each saw a decent flow of entries. "Finally, youngsters are
inspired to take this sport seriously," said one of the senior participants.
On World
Environment Day on June 5, 2010, Mumbaikars too join citizens the world over in doing their two bits for Mother
Nature. With a series of activities and events, such as movie screenings, plantation drives and cycle rallies, being planned
throughout the day and the weekend, organisers are hoping to create awareness about the environment and inculcate the green spirit among people.
Northern coastline of Maharashtra has higher levels of pollution
The northern coastline of Maharashtra, which, according to a recent study done by the
Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) for the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), has higher levels of pollution than any
other coastline in India. The major reasons for industrial, domestic and port-based pollution
along the northern portion of Maharashtra's 720-km-long coastline are rapid industrialisation, urbanisation and a lack of control over the
dumping of chemicals and pollutants into the Arabian Sea, especially in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, says the study.
"The higher levels of hazardous chemicals in inshore waters along the
northern Maharashtra coast as compared to the southern coast suggest high organic inputs due to anthropogenic activities, such as sewage,
leading to severe deterioration in environmental activity in many instances," says the survey. |
|
|
|
Mumbai as top polluted city
Mumbai is now the second largest coastal city in the world and India's premier port.
The new Mumbai, located close to the largest chemical industry zone in Asia, is exposed to high levels of toxic and carcinogenic chemicals released by these industries.
According to WHO, Mumbai is next to Kolkata and
Delhi as one of the top ten most polluted cities in the
world In India, the urban agglomerations are restricted to a selected few cities, which
have attracted migration. Mumbai being the trade and commercial capital of India,
has been the destination for all types of population groups such as literates,
illiterates; skilled and unskilled; and persons from all walks of life. The
population of Mumbai grew by 38 per cent during 1971-81 and, 20 per cent during
1981-91 to reach 10 million. Currently, the Mumbai’s population is standing at
18 million making it one of the most populous metropolises in the world. With
this increase in population there has been an increase in number of vehicles and
industrial activities aggravating of air pollution levels. With this
growing peril of air pollution there is a serious threat to the health of its citizens (World Bank).
A recent report on air pollution and its sources in mega cities
by National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) and sponsored by the Central Pollution
Control Board reveals just how deep the pollution in Mumbai is. Construction
activity, including paved and unpaved road dust is responsible for as much as 38% of the emission load of particulate matter (PM) in
Mumbai. Power plants are the second biggest culprits accounting for 20.99% of air pollution, followed by landfill open burning at 10.84%. In
the vehicular category, heavy duty diesel (HDDV) vehicles contribute to
3.42% of emissions. |
|
|
|
Hazardous. Industries in the city
There are approximately 40,000 small and big industries in the city, of which 32 have been classified as hazardous. Industries
in the air-polluting category include textile mills, chemical, pharmaceutical,
engineering and foundry units. Process emissions and those from fuel consumption,
constitute the main sources of air pollution. Major air pollution sources include
a giant fertilizer/chemical complex; two oil refineries and a thermal power
plant, all based in CHEMBUR, a suburb on the eastern coast of Bombay (World Bank).
The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGB) monitors the air
quality within the city limits; MCGB has measured ambient air quality
regularly at 22 monitoring stations in Mumbai for over 15 years. These monitoring stations
measured the air pollutant levels according to who prescribed guidelines and methods.
Air Quality Monitoring
These mobile monitoring vans operated by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's Air Quality Monitoring and Research
(AQMR) laboratory are stationed at traffic junctions at Worli, Andheri & Wadala.
In January 2008, Andheri touched 542 microgrammes per cubic metre (µg/m3). In Feb 2007 and Feb 2006, the figures for the same monthly average were 534 µg/m3 and 489 µg/m3 respectively.
In February 2008, Wadala's SPM levels were 425 µg/m3. That is an alarming rise from 178 µg/m3 in February 2007 and 312 µg/m3 in Feb ruary 2006.
In March 2008, Wadala recorded 303 µg/m3 levels of SPM, the corresponding figures for the month of March 2007 and March 2006 in the same area were 258 µg/m3 and 300 µg/m3. "Rise in SPM over the years has increased asthma prevalence in the city as it's an important triggering factor," says Dr Pramod
Niphadkar, honorary secretary of the Asthma and Bronchitis Association of India.
"People don't give much attention to the pollution, but... though there are very few mortalities due to air pollution, morbidity is of great concern," he added.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), SPM is among the
most serious air pollutants, resulting in an additional 4.6 lakh deaths every year, worldwide. Reiterating WHO's data, a senior scientific officer at AQMR admits:
"SPM is a major pollutant in Mumbai's air,
followed by nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide."
Scientists at AQMR also point out a new entrant in the family of particulate matter - sand used to set loose interlocking tiles across the city's pavements. "Every time a car passes, the dry sand that's left over blows along for miles," the AQMR officer says. In
Mumbai, pollution from road and building construction is second only to vehicular pollution.
Overall, Mumbai's highest SPM levels are at Maravali, near Chembur, because of the industrial estates in that area. In
Deonar, a fixed monitor ing station of the AQMR measured the highest levels of SPM this February - an alarming 1,133 µg/m3, owing to the proximity of the city's
biggest dumping ground. Today, SPM in ambient air in Mumbai is anywhere between 545 µg/m3 to 292 µg/m3, not complying with the central pollution control board. Permissible levels, according to the
AQMR, are 140 µg/m3 in residential areas and 360 µg/m3 in industrial areas.
Air pollution causes asthma
A recent BMC survey in May 2010 showed that deaths due to respiratory tract infections have increased by
20.17 per cent, pushing even heart
Disease and Cancer
aside. The new killer diseases are bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive
pulmonary disorders (COPD). Not surprising, given the dust, pollution and erratic lifestyles. Also, WHO ranks Mumbai among the top 10 polluted
cities in the world.
"General Asthma
levels in the city are anywhere between three to five per cent whereas in polluted areas, that increases to 10 per cent," says Dr Amita
Athavale, head of (EPRC) at KEM Hospital. She says while SPM doesn't directly cause asthma it causes increased incidence of asthmatic attacks among those already suffering from the disease and triggers
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among those prone to respiratory ailments. There
are cases of pulmonary fibrosis where lungs lose elasticity permanently, reducing the capacity to take in air. "In
pulmonary fibrosis, pollution works as one of the significant triggers. In the Seventies, we saw pulmonary fibrosis cases once every
year, now we are seeing one fresh case every week," says Dr Niphadkar |
Mumbai, the financial capital of the country, is home to the largest slum in Asia and almost half of the
city's inhabitants are slum-dwellers.
Slumdog Millionaire Oscars
Awards to India on children films was the story of Mumbai's slum-dwellers.
The location of the Mumbai airport too makes it vulnerable to smog. It is not only situated well within the precincts of the city, but is also flanked by the industrial area near Kurla.
Mumbai imports and transports a lot of oil products. The refineries and depots have been identified as areas that cause substantial oil pollution.
Domestic wastes are discharged mostly in untreated condition due to the lack of treatment facilities. There are only available facilities for 390
million litres per day (MLD) as against the 1,200 MLD of domestic sewage that is generated.
Exceptionally high concentrations of lead, cadmium, and mercury have been observed in Thane creeks on the Mumbai Coast.
|
|
|
City's
waste dumps sites
Mumbai authorities have purchased 42,000 litres of perfume to spray on the
city’s enormous waste dumps at Deonar and Mulund landfill sites after people
living near the landfill sites complained of the stench. The Deonar landfill site, one of India’s largest, was first used by the British
in 1927. Today, the festering pile covers more than 120 hectares and is eight story's high.
Everything gets dumped there; old food, rotten fish, rotten vegetables, plastic
bags, glass and metal items. Around 500,000 people live near the two dumps, which were once beyond the city
limits but have been caught up in the sprawl of one of the world’s fastest
growing urban areas. The council has spent 4.8 million rupees on enough scent to last for
10 months, where more than half the population live in slums.
Most densely populated urban area in the world
Mumbai’s population of 18 million has more than doubled in the past 30 years,
making it the most densely populated urban area in the world. In March, Mumbai was ranked seventh in a list of the world’s 25 dirtiest cities
published by Forbes magazine, a worse rating than even Baghdad. India’s capital, New Delhi, was listed 24th.
Mumbai’s council now has plans to close part of the dumps and use the methane
the rest generates to help solve the city’s power crisis.
The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board
(MPCB) is setting up 46 air quality monitoring stations in the state as part of its campaign against air and water pollution. The
programme, covering 27 urban centres, is called Pollution Assessment Monitoring and Surveillance
(PAMS) and is aimed at helping MPCB take stringent steps while dealing with cases of water and air pollution, an MPCB official said.
MPCB operates 62 such stations. The proposed air quality monitoring centres would come up at
Kalyan- Dombivali and Bhiwandi in Thane district, Mahad and Roha in Konkan region, Latur in Marathwada and
at Solapur, Sangli-Miraj and Ahmednagar.
Mumbai still has a very high incidence of chronic respiratory problems, arising from extreme air pollution.
The causes of pollution are mainly industries in the eastern suburbs and New Bombay, garbage burning by the BMC, and
insufficient control over emission levels from vehicles. |
Mumbai enormous waste dumps at Deonar and Mulund landfill sites.
In Mumbai the population produces close to 8,500 metric tonnes of rubbish a day, most of which makes its way to the two sites.
Increasing emission levels from vehicles in Mumbai.
|
|
|
Firecrackers and noise pollution during Diwali
A 50-100% increase in pollution levels during Diwali days due to bursting of
firecrackers, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB)
monitored the ambient air quality at five places in the city and noise quality at 20 spots.
MPCB has banned manufacturing of crackers that make a noise of more than 125 decibels at four metre distance from the point of bursting.
The hazards of pollution caused by crackers include hearing loss, increase in blood pressure, heart attack and sleeping disturbance. Sudden exposure to loud noise could also cause temporary deafness or permanent relative deafness.
Lung diseases register a sharp rise during Diwali due to the smoke emanating from firecrackers.
Disposal of e-waste
Mumbai generates about 23,000 tonnes of e-waste every year, but disposal has been very disorganised so far,” said Sanjay
Khandare, member secretary, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board. Three years ago Mumbai generated only 11,000 tonnes of e-waste. It now generates the most E-waste in the country.
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has come up with in its latest environmental status report
(September , 2008) indicates that the end of the rains will bring even worse times for people suffering from diseases of the respiratory tract.
Panel chalks out plans to curb pollution
The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has launched a series of
short- term plans as well as long-term surveys to curb contamination in
critically polluted regions of Maharashtra, including Dombivali and Navi Mumbai on Februray 1, 2010.
This follows a study by the Central government which calculated a Comprehensive
Environmental Pollution Index (CEPI) for 88 key industrial clusters in India.
The study, conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board and the IIT, Delhi,
showed that industrial hubs like Chandrapur, Dombavili, Navi Mumbai and Tarapur
in Maharashtra recorded alarming levels of pollutants in the air, water and
land, exceeding a total CEPI level of 70. The Centre has named these regions as ‘critically polluted industrial clusters/areas’ and has recommended temporary restrictions on consideration of
developmental projects in these regions.
Offshore wind power projects in Mumbai coastline
Wind power projects are the latest and among the fastest growing sectors within global energy today. A long coastline, low installation costs and ready local availability of key raw materials have all made Mumbai a
favorite destination for offshore wind power, with global majors such as Areva, Siemens and GE queuing up to explore opportunities in the country.
High-profile investors such as Vinod Sethi, private equity major Blackstone and new clean technology funds have already invested in offshore wind energy companies planning for India, as this sector is expected to offer electricity tariffs at 40% less cost than that from traditional sources. “Offshore wind is the new growth area and has
cheaper costs,” Areva Renewables global CEO Anil Srivastava said.
Since offshore wind projects can be built close to big consumption centres that are typically located in coastal areas, the long western coastline will suit such a model as most large industries are situated along the country’s western coast. Mumbai is an ideal place for such wind power projects. |
A 50-100% increase in pollution levels during Diwali days due to bursting of
firecrackers
Terrorist attack in Mumbai
Wind Energy |
|
|
Acute malaria outbreak in Mumbai
There is battling record levels of
Malaria a mosquito-born infection in Mumbai, health officials said on August 20, 2010, with as many cases in the first half of
the year as in the whole of 2009. Authorities in the financial hub have drafted in experts from Medecins
Sans Frontieres to tackle an outbreak which has seen nearly 4,000 cases
this month alone, with the most virulent form of the potential killer having struck 10 to 15 percent.
Since August 1, nearly 3,800 people have tested positive, mostly
for the non-lethal vivax strain and there have been 28 deaths, according to figures released on August 20, 2010 by the
BMC.
Mithi river has been reduced to a filthy nullah
Once a beautiful Mithi river of Mumbai is now reduced to a filthy nullah.
Now a report of the Central Pollution Control Board shows that Maharashtra has the largest number of polluted river
water stretches in the country. Environmental experts are worried that it is not only industrial
pollution, which is responsible for degrading the quality of water in
state rivers. The rapid urbanisation across the state is a major culprit
as well. "Domestic sewage is a source of pollution besides industrial
and other sources,'' said an official from the union ministry of
environment and forests.
Mithi river of Mumbai is now reduced to a filthy nullah
Five years after the Mithi river overflowed and flooded parts of
Mumbai,
and claimed more than 500 lives during the July 26 deluge, the city is
yet to receive any of the funds the Central government had promised to
help widen and deepen the river, thus preventing a repeat of the disaster.
The Brihanmumbai Muni-cipal Corporation (BMC) and the Mumbai
Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) recently sent a letter
to the Centre, asking for Rs 1,300 crore, said Chandrakant Watve, BMC’s
chief engineer for stormwater drains. After the 2005 deluge, the
Maharashtra government had asked for Rs 1,300 crore from central
government, under its urban renewal programme.
However, the Centre returned the proposal in 2008 on grounds that the
proposal did not mention Mithi as a river, but as a drain, and urban
renewal funds could not be used to clean a drain.
The latest request from the BMC and the MMRDA is an attempt to get the
funds under a special category. The BMC has already spent Rs 400 crore while the MMRDA has spent Rs 300
crore on reviving the river. A lack of funds would further delay the
project say civic officials.
|
|
|
|
