Activist urges CM Thackeray to start air quality warnings for Mumbai

Anti-noise and anti-pollution activist Sumaira Abdulali, of the Awaaz Foundation, said that issuing health advisories in advance would give citizens and vulnerable people time to protect themselves from deteriorating air quality.

Abdulali, in her letter, said that public health warnings are mandated by the National Clean Air Action Plan and that they are to be issued by every urban local body of the 132-non-attainment cities—cities that did not meet the national ambient air quality standards for 2011-15—on days when air quality severely deteriorates and is unhealthy for citizens.

“Over the last two weeks, Mumbai, India’s financial capital, has witnessed its highest-every air pollution levels since citywide intensive air monitoring was initiated in 2015. Mumbai’s AQI (air quality index) breached the 500 mark on 24-25 January and again witnessed very high AQI (over 300) during the first week of February. This was attributed to two dust storms that originated in the Middle East, Afghanistan, Pakistan and surrounding regions that had brought dust and haze to northwestern Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan,” stated the letter. “These incidents, however, cannot be dismissed as one-off events affecting the city’s air pollution, since poor air quality and its impact on health has become a significant concern for Mumbai not just during the winter months, but throughout the year.”

The corporation has announced that 128 sensor-based systems will be installed to monitor air quality and provide real-time data within four square kilometers each, making Mumbai’s air quality network the largest in India. This will make forecasts and health warnings on poor-air-quality days a lot easier.