Lok Sabha elections are coming up next month and while the chowkidaars and chors are busy mudslinging at each other, it is time for conscious citizens to draw their attention towards the real environmental issues plaguing our nation that need urgent action.
In the study conducted by System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) revealed that the air quality index (AQI) in Mumbai was 312, while Delhi recorded an overall AQI of 105, showing Mumbai's air quality was almost three times worse than Delhi's.
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) has warned that if Mumbai’s groundwater is over-extracted, saline water from the sea will enter the subsoil from the coast and contaminate the water table, rendering groundwater unpotable. Going by Mumbai’s massive surface concretization, Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has warned that by 2025, groundwater availability per person will be less than the national average of 25%.
According to the environmental status report by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Mumbai generates 9,400 metric tonnes of waste per day, of which only 30% gets treated with a proper procedure, the rest gets dumped at the already overloaded landfills and dumping grounds. As opposed to other cities, there is no provision for proper waste segregation. The beaches and mangroves are filthy, trenched with garbage of all kinds, ranging from plastic to fecal matter.
A study, led by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, states 94% of the city has been paved and concretised in the past four decades, and in the process lost 60% of its vegetation.
The city of Mumbai is blessed with Aarey forest and Sanjay Gandhi National Park which try to mitigate the rising pollution levels in the city. But unplanned urbanisation and infrastructure madness are giving away precious forest land for construction of Metro car shed when seven more viable options are available.
It is time that citizens come out and demand environmental manifesto from our leaders. A human chain will be held at 4.30 pm from Marine Drive on March 30 and environmental groups such as Save Aarey Group, Save Our Coast (The coastal road group), AVNI, Navi Mumbai Wetlands and Mangroves, tribals from Yeoor Environmental Society, tribals from Aarey Colony, anti-bullet train activists from Palghar and fisherfolk from Uran will participate. Around 2,000 residents are expected to join the human chain to demand a comprehensive environmental plan for the next five years keeping in mind the health impacts, safety of citizens and the preservation of the environment.
Please come in full support to make our demands loud and clear for an environmental manifesto.
https://food.ndtv.com/health/delhis-air-quality-found-to-be-better-than-mumbai-post-winter-1669689
https://www.indianfolk.com/waste-management-mumbai-fails-edited/
https://www.asianage.com/metros/mumbai/250319/activists-demand-green-manifesto-ahead-of-polls.html