AIR POLLUTION IN MUMBAI AND PUBLIC HEALTH

Introduction

It is well known that with rapid industrialization, urbanization and migration, particularly in the developing
world, there is a general deterioration of environmental conditions. In addition to inadequate housing,
sanitation, poor water supply and malnutrition populations have been exposed to raising levels of ‘Air
Pollution’ (SR Kamat). Despite the vast improvements in health globally over the past several decades
environmental factors remain a major cause of sickness and death in many regions of the world. In the poorer
regions one in five children does not live beyond five years of age, largely because of environmentally related-
and preventable diseases. That number translates into 11 million deaths each year, mostly due to illnesses
such as diarrhoea and acute RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS. Insect borne diseases also exact a heavy toll; malaria
alone claims one to three million lives in a year, again most of them children

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 15 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).

WHAT IS POLLUTION?

Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability,
disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms.[1]Pollution can
take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat, or light. Pollutants, the elements
of pollution, can be foreign substances or energies, or naturally occurring; when naturally occurring,
they are considered contaminants when they exceed natural levels. Pollution is often classed as point
source or nonpoint source pollution.

TYPES OF POLLUTION

The major forms of pollution are listed below along with the particular pollutants relevant to each of
them:

 Air pollution, the release of chemicals and particulates into the atmosphere. Common
gaseous air pollutants include carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
and oxides produced by industry and motor vehicles. Photochemical ozone and smog are created
as nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons react to sunlight. Particulate matter, or fine dust is
characterized by their micrometre size PM10 to PM2.5.

 Light pollution, includes light trespass, over-illumination and astronomical interference.

 Noise pollution, which encompasses roadway noise, aircraft noise, industrial noise as well as
high-intensity sonar.
 Soil contamination occurs when chemicals are released by spill or underground leakage.
Among the most significant soil contaminants are hydrocarbons, heavy metals, MTBE,
[10]
 herbicides, pesticides and chlorinated hydrocarbons.
 Radioactive contamination, resulting from 20th century activities in atomic physics, such as
nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons research, manufacture and deployment.
(See emitters and actinides in the environment.)
 Thermal pollution, is a temperature change in natural water bodies caused by human
influence, such as use of water as coolant in a power plant.
 Visual pollution, which can refer to the presence of overhead power lines,
motorway billboards, scarred landforms (as from strip mining), open storage of trash or municipal
solid waste.
 Water pollution, by the discharge of wastewater from commercial and industrial
waste (intentionally or through spills) into surface waters; discharges of untreated
domestic sewage; release of waste and contaminants into surface runoff flowing to surface waters
(including urban); waste disposal and leaching into groundwater; eutrophication and littering.

HEALTH HAZARDS RELATED WITH IT

Adverse air quality can kill many organisms including humans. Ozone pollution can cause respiratory
disease, cardiovascular disease, throat inflammation, chest pain, and congestion. Water pollution
causes approximately 14,000 deaths per day, mostly due to contamination of drinking by
untreated sewage in developing countries. An estimated 700 million Indians have no access to a
proper toilet, and 1,000 Indian children die of diarrhoeal sickness every day.[28] Nearly 500 million
Chinese lack access to safe drinking water.[29] 656,000 people die prematurely each year
in China because of air pollution. In India, air pollution is believed to cause 527,700 fatalities a year.
[30]
 Studies have estimated that the number of people killed annually in the US could be over 50,000.[31]

Oil spills can cause skin irritations and rashes. Noise pollution induce shearing, high blood
pressure, stress, and sleep disturbance. Mercury has been linked to developmental deficits in children
and neurologic symptoms. Older people are majorly exposed to diseases induced by air pollution.
Those with heart or lung disorders are under additional risk. Children and infants are also at serious
risk. Lead and other heavy metals have been shown to cause neurological problems. Chemical and
radioactive substances can cause cancer and as well as birth defects.

LOCATION OF MUMBAI

Mumbai lies at the mouth of the Ulhas River on the western coast of India, in the coastal region known
as the Konkan. It sits on Salsette Island, partially shared with the district. Mumbai is bounded by
the Arabian Sea to the west. Many parts of the city lie just above sea level, with elevations ranging
from 10 m (33 ft) to 15 m (49 ft); the city has an average elevation of 14 m (46 ft). Northern Mumbai
(Salsette) is hilly, and the highest point in the city is 450 m (1,476 ft) at Salsette in the Powai-
Kanheri ranges. Sanjay Gandhi National Park (Borivali National Park) is located partly in the Mumbai
suburban district, and partly in the Thane district, and it extends over an area of
103.09 km2 (39.80 sq mi).

MUMBAI:- THE FINANCIAL CAPITAL OF INDIA

Mumbai is India's largest city(by population) and is the financial and commercial capital of the country
as it generates 6.16% of the total GDP. It serves as an economic hub of India, contributing 10% of
factory employment, 25% of industrial output, 33% of tax collections, 60% of customs duty collections,
20% of central excise tax collections, 40% of India's foreign trade and  4,000 crore (US$888
million) in corporate taxes.

As of 2008, Mumbai's GDP is  919,600 crore (US$204.15 billion), and its per-capita income in 2009
was  128,000 (US$2,840), which is almost three times the national average. Many of India's
numerous conglomerates (including Larsen and Toubro, India, Life, Tata
Group, Godrej and Reliance), and five of the Fortune Global 500 companies are based in
Mumbai. Many foreign banks and financial institutions also have branches in this area, with the World
Trade Centre being the most prominent one.

Until the 1970s, Mumbai owed its prosperity largely to textile mills and the seaport, but the local
economy has since been diversified to include engineering, diamond-polishing, healthcare and
information technology. As of 2008, the Globalization and World Cities Study Group (GaWC) has
ranked Mumbai as an "Alpha world city", third in its categories of Global cities. Mumbai is the 4th most
expensive office market in the world. Mumbai was ranked among the fastest cities in India for
business start-up in 2009.

State and central government employees make up a large percentage of the city's workforce. Mumbai
also has a large unskilled and semi-skilled self employed population, who primarily earn their
livelihood as hawkers, taxi drivers, mechanics and other such blue collar professions. The port and
shipping industry is well established, with Mumbai Port being one of the oldest and most significant
ports in India. In Dharavi, in central Mumbai, there is an increasingly large recycling industry,
processing recyclable waste from other parts of the city; the district has an estimated 15,000 single-
room factories.

Most of India's major television and satellite networks, as well as its major publishing houses, are
headquartered in Mumbai. The centre of the Hindi movie industry, Bollywood, is the largest film
producer in India and one of the largest in the world as well as centre of Marathi Film Industry. Along
with the rest of India, Mumbai, its commercial capital, has witnessed an economic boom since the
liberalisation of 1991, the finance boom in the mid-nineties and the IT, export, services and
outsourcing boom in 2000s.

HISTORY OF INDUSTRIALIZATION IN MUMBAI

Mumbai originally consisted of seven separate islands that were only connected at low tide. The original people
of the islands were a traditional fishing people known as the Kolis. In 1348 Mumbai was conquered by the
neighbouring kingdom of Gujarat and remained under their possession until it was taken by the Portuguese in
1534. The British acquired it in 1661 through the marriage of Princess Catherine of Portugal to Prince Charles II
of England. However, the British Crown did not want it due to the fact that it was swampy and quite
uninhabitable. This was good news to the British East India Company because that type of landscape is fairly
good for growing cotton, so they leased the property from the Crown beginning in 1668.

The British East India Company took upon the challenge of developing Mumbai, then known as Mumbai, and
they built the fort, now the current Central Business District, in 1717. The Company began reclaiming land from
the sea in 1730 and by 1830 a causeway which linked mainland Mumbai to the two southernmost islands had
been built, making Mumbai look much like it still does today.

The main industry that the British East India Company developed was textiles, which still remains Mumbai's
largest industry. Because of the lack of connection that Mumbai had to mainland India, the Company heavily
emphasized overseas trade, and Mumbai's port began to grow. Completion of the Bombay Railroad in 1852
began Mumbai's expansion into the interior of the subcontinent. Cotton production boomed incredibly during
the American Civil War between 1861-1865 because Britain relied solely on India for cotton rather that both
India and America. Also during this time the port was modernized and Mumbai expanded northward on more
reclaimed land.

The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and the completion of the Bombay-Delhi Railroad in 1872 helped
solidify Mumbai's stature as India's most important port. In fact textile mills increased from 7000 workers in
1860 to more than 73000 workers in 1900.

PRESENT STATUS OF INDUSTRIES IN MUMBAI

Mumbai has a vast array of different industries. However, textiles are still Mumbai's largest industry. Some of
the other industries that Mumbai has include: Pharmecuticals, construction, engineering, metals, silks,
glassware, printing, plastics, bikes and film. It also has a large petroleum industry. Nearly all of India's
petroleum is marketed in Mumbai.

Mumbai experienced the majority of its growth in industry after World War II. Up until that point it had relied
mainly on the textile industry, with little other industrial growth occurring. After World War II, came Indian
Independence and with that Mumbai's economy was inter meshed with the national Indian economy. More
emphasis was put in internal trade; a vast change since previously Mumbai had been focused on foreign trade
due to British control. Because of the strong British presence, Mumbai was the first Indian city to experience
growth and changes associated with capitalism and have since become India's banking and finance capital.

Today Mumbai accounts for 20% of India's total employment in industry and 11% of India's employment in
total. It handles 30% of India's exports and imports and is the subcontinent's largest port. However, there is still
an extremely high rate of unemployment due to the fact that there are severely fewer jobs than there are
workers.

The high rate of unemployment is due to a couple of factors. Firstly, the strong economics attracted migrants to
the city with dreams of better opportunities. Secondly, many young people have come from the country to attend
school in Mumbai. Once they complete their schooling they do not want to return home and because of the
shortage of jobs in Mumbai they become one of the statistics. Also there has been no great change in the
occupational structure in the past 20 years and many factories are moving to rural areas in order to spur growth
there. All of these factors have left Mumbai with disproportionate ratio of jobs to workers. It has seen such rapid
industrialization and enormous mass migration. This has also caused problems for Urban Developers because
they cannot do much long term planning due to the fact that the city is always changing.
URBANIZATION IN MUMBAI

The following decades saw massive expansion of the city and its suburbs. In the late 1960s, Nariman
Point and Cafe Parade were reclaimed and developed. The Bombay Metropolitan Region
Development Authority (BMRDA) was set up on 26 January 1975 by the Government of
Maharashtra as an apex body for planning and co-ordination of development activities in the Bombay
metropolitan region. In August 1979, a sister township of New Bombay was founded by City and
Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) across Thane and Raigad districts to help the dispersal
and control of Bombay's population. Textile industry in Bombay largely disappeared after the massive
1982 Great Bombay Textile Strike, in which nearly 250,000 workers in more than 50 textile mills went
on strike.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Port, which currently handles 55–60% of India's containerized cargo, was
commissioned on 26 May 1989 at Nhava Sheva with a view to de-congest Bombay Harbour and to
serve as a hub port for the city. The geographical limits of Greater Bombay were coextensive with
municipal limits of Greater Bombay. On 1 October 1990, the Greater Bombay district was bifurcated to
form two revenue districts namely, Bombay City and Bombay Suburban, though they were
administered by same Municipal Administration.

INCREASE IN VEHICULAR TRAFFIC

“In Mumbai (Bombay) the main contributor of air pollution is the transport sector, followed by
power plants, industrial units and burning of garbage. Fuel quality and engine conditions
significantly influence the level of air pollution to arrest this growing problem, a concerted effort
with public involvement is essential. Awareness of the issue, proactive policies, economically
affordable standards and technologies and effective enforcement are key elements in any effective
air quality management strategy A long- term perspective shows that early adoption of policies for
environmentally safer technologies can allow developing countries to resolve some of the most
difficult problems of industrialization and growth at lower human and economic cost.”

Ameliorative measures by city admin mainly focus on the vehicular pollution:

1) The bus and rail network in Mumbai is by far the best

public transportation infrastructure in the country in terms
of coverage, carrying capacity, and utilization. Moreover,
Mumbai is implementing an MRTS – metropolitan railway transit system.
2) In the spring of 2002 the High Court issued an order
that all the diesel taxis in the city change to using compressed natural gas [CNG]. They were
allowed a few months to do so. Infrastructure was hastily set up to allow for this transition. Now all
taxis which ply in Mumbai are either CNG or petrol. 3) The strengthening of the cities
arterial roads and introduction of 55 flyovers for smoother flow of traffic in and out of the city.

These results of these measures show a steady decline in SO2 and RSPM concentrations in Mumbai.
NOx concentrations are below the NAAQS standards and have remained steady. However, SPM
remains above NAAQS in Mumbai. A comprehensive emission inventory was conducted in 1997 for
Mumbai as part of the Urban Air Quality Management Strategy (URBAIR). It was found in the study
that the total suspended particulates exposure was primarily due to resuspension from roads caused
by vehicles(40%), emission from diesel and gasoline vehicles (14%), domestic wood and refuse
burning (31%), and others (15%) . The aspect of resuspension formed one of the important areas of
investigation in the later emission inventory-related studies.
CONSTRUCTION BOOM IN MUMBAI

Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India is experiencing a huge building boom. Over the last two years, literally
thousands of new mid and high-rise construction has taken place, with towers getting higher and higher.

Last year, Mumbai's tallest was 40-odd stories. This year, its to be 82, with current FSI at 4. In the next two
years, CBD development in Mumbai's former mill lands and Dharavi will see a huge number of skyscraper and,
due to FSI being at 8, very possibly super tall construction. Out of Mumbai's shanty sprawls and rain-worn
architectural reminders of its colonial past sprout shiny new apartment complexes, malls and offices that are
reshaping the world's fifth-biggest metropolis.

The heart of India's financial capital is burgeoning along with the rest of the country, and the development
threatens to overshadow the lingering glamour of its Art Deco facades. Scaffolding creeps up the side of textile
mills that fuelled Mumbai's 19th-century boom, even as far-flung suburbs expand and pile pressure on the
teeming commuter train system. While half or more of its 17.4 million residents live in shanties, Mumbai is also
home to super-rich scions of Indian industry and a solid middle-class. The United Nations expects it will be the
biggest urban agglomeration after Tokyo by 2015.

"It's a turning point for the city," said Anuj Puri, who heads the construction and real estate sub-committee of
the Confederation of Indian Industry. "I think people will refer back to the boom of the mid-2000s. It started in
2002 and I don't know when it's going to end." In posh areas, real estate calculations are such that slum-dwellers
sometimes get flats adjoining the luxury complexes that replace their shanties. But for the most part, the poor
usually only take part in the construction boom as workers. Factories make way for self-contained complexes of
shops, offices and residential buildings, all catering to the emerging middle-class Indians whose big-spending
ways are largely funded by cheap loans sold aggressively by banks. In the Parel mill district, not far from
upmarket south Mumbai, the hectic pace of building is matched by a steady stream of buyers willing to spend
7.5 million rupees ($171,600) -- 10 times the annual salary of many professionals -- for two bedrooms and a
shorter commute.

HEALTH EFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION

Air pollution can affect our health in many ways with both short-term and long-term effects. Different groups of
individuals are affected by air pollution in different ways. Some individuals are much more sensitive to
pollutants than are others. Young children and elderly people often suffer more from the effects of air pollution.
People with health problems such as asthma, heart and lung disease may also suffer more when the air is
polluted. The extent to which an individual is harmed by air pollution usually depends on the total exposure to
the damaging chemicals, i.e., the duration of exposure and the concentration of the chemicals must be taken into
account.

Examples of short-term effects include irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, and upper respiratory infections
such as bronchitis and pneumonia. Other symptoms can include headaches, nausea, and allergic reactions.
Short-term air pollution can aggravate the medical conditions of individuals with asthma and emphysema. In the
great "Smog Disaster" in London in 1952, four thousand people died in a few days due to the high
concentrations of pollution.

Long-term health effects can include chronic respiratory disease, lung cancer, heart disease, and even damage
to the brain, nerves, liver, or kidneys. Continual exposure to air pollution affects the lungs of growing children
and may aggravate or complicate medical conditions in the elderly. It is estimated that half a million people die
prematurely every year in the United States as a result of smoking cigarettes.

RECENT NEWS OF POLLUTION IN MUMBAI

Mumbai breathing in a lot more filth: DNA Published: Tuesday, Mar 16, 2010, 0:44 IST
While air pollution levels are high in most parts of the city, residential areas near highways and arterial roads
seem to be the worst hit. As per the latest readings, the worst pollution levels were recorded at the Western
Express Highway, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road and LBS Marg.

Of the 16 Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) monitoring stations in Mumbai, the pollution levels
were found to have exceeded the permissible limit by those set up near Kherwadi junction, Sion Hospital, and
the Johnson and Johnson portion of the LBS Marg. The readings were collected for the period between February
15 and March 15.

The Sion stretch was the worst of the lot. The average levels for nitrogen oxides (Nox) and respirable suspended
particulate matter (RSPM) recorded here were twice and thrice respectively above the set limits. At the
Kherwadi junction too, high Nox and RSPM levels were recorded. The average Nox level found here was 97.25
micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3), whereas the RSPM levels were found to be 188.32 (µg/m3).

RCF ammonia leaks harming us: Wadala and Antop Hill residents. Published: Wednesday, Mar 9, 2011, 0:20
IST

Over the past several months, some residents of Wadala and Antop Hill have been complaining of a sharp
increase in ailments such as breathlessness, asthma, pain in the eyes and severe headaches. The primary cause of
these symptoms it is alleged from ammonia gas leak from the Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers (RCF) plant.
These are the ailments that are rampant amongst most of the people residing in these areas, it is observed. RCF
manufactures fertilisers and ammonia is one of the major input ingredients.

There was a major ammonia gas leak on January 23 and despite BMC’s best efforts, it could not be ascertained
who was the culprit. “How about an organisation, which indulges in frequent leakages and makes living hell for
the residents? There should be no pollution and people should be in a position to breathe fresh air.

We have brought this to the notice of RCF officials several times who have always promised action but after a
couple of days it is back to square one,” says Wadala resident Bipin R Pandit.
Pandit has suggested that RCF should open up a grievance station outside their premises that works 24x7 for
people to file their complaints and also issue cell phone numbers of four top employees who can be approached
should the grievance cell fails in addressing these issues. “Why can’t RCF install ammonia measuring devices at
critical places like Dosti Acres, Bhakti Park, Chembur and Antop Hill?,” he says.

Another recommendation is that RCF should function in one shift only from 9 am to 5 pm. This, Pandit feels,
would take care of any irresponsibility of people who may be operating in shifts. “We have initiated a mass
movement and will soon be setting up an anti-pollution website,” Pundit says.

RCF spokesperson claimed that RCF had state-of-the-art Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations, located on
four corners of the factory. “Real Time Monitoring of Ambient Air Quality is done with modern instruments to
ensure that the ambient air quality is within the norms stipulated by Maharashtra Pollution Control Board. RCF
has a dedicated Environment Cell which also monitors environmental conditions within the factory as well as
nearby areas on regular basis,” he said.

About alleged frequent ammonia leaks, he claimed that on one occasion joint teams from RCF and Chembur
police could not find any ammonia smell. On another occasion, it was found that the smell was originating from
a leaky tanker, he said.

On the issue of ammonia affecting health of residents, he claimed that regular checks of its own employees and
their family members staying in 2205 residential flats from the RCF township had shown no abnormalities in
lung function test.

PUBIC AWARENESS

 
 The air that Mumbaiites are breathing may make them more susceptible to cancer. The
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s latest Environment Status Report (ESR) for 2009-2010,
released on September 3, 2010 shows that the amount of cancer-causing particulate matter in the air
has increased alarmingly compared to last year.
 On  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 Mumbai was poisoned by Chlorine gas leak from the Sewri industrial area.  

 Mumbai is in the middle of a huge transition. New towers are coming up every 500m, new modes of
transport, like the Monorail and the Metro are being laid, and mills and chawls are being brought down
for multi-storied complexes. The key equipment for construction is heavier and faster modes of
transport: excavators, trailer cranes, dumpers and rollers, a senior transport department official said. 
  Latest statistics from Maharashtra’s transport department state that Maharashtra has made a jump
from 3,78,873 of JCB vehicles (excavators, forklifts, cranes and diggers) in 2000 to 8,45,617 in 2009,
which means an addition of more than four lakh vehicles in nine years. The machines are classified
under the category of articulated and multi-axle vehicles.

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.

CONCLUSION

“Mumbai is an incredible city which is symbol of energy and optimism of India",   said US President
Barrack Obama saluting the spirit of Mumbai as he addressed the press at Taj on November 6, 2010.
Air pollution in Mumbai has been rampant due to the onset of the construction boom in 2002, 1991
liberalization of the Indian economy, and increase in traffic volumes onset of chemical industry,
increase in population and various other factors. This has been degrading the health of Mumbaikars
and the city environment. Each and every Mumbaikar should work towards the sustainable
development of the city. Then both the city economy and the city environment will prosper.

Bibliography

http://www.gits4u.com/envo/envo19.htm

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumbai

^ Environment and urbanization 2002, p. 160