Mumbai: Measures to tackle unprecedented pollution in the city were a major highlight of the recently released BMC budget 2023-24. For starters, the civic body has lined up plans to set up vehicle-mounted air purification units at five of the most crowded localities in the city— Dahisar and Mulund Check Naka, Mankhurd, Kalanagar Junction and Haji Ali Junction —by the end of the coming financial year.
The units would filter Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 and 10 and harmful gases such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide.
Civic officials told TOI Rs 10 crore would be spent on the purification units project.
The BMC’s clean air plans come on the back of worryingly high pollution levels in the city. Data shared by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecast and Research (SAFAR) showed that out of the 92 days between November 1, 2022, and January 31, 2023, Mumbai recorded poor or very poor air quality index (AQI) on 66 days. Also, in those 92 days, the city recorded satisfactory AQI on just one day.
The BMC thus also plans to set up an ionisation-based air purification system for dust mitigation. Following the budget announcement, BMC commissioner I S Chahal said, “The smog towers which have been proposed would be around 30 feet in height covering a 1km radius and there would be two per zone. The radio waves generated by these towers would enable dust particles to get ionised and thus further attract more dust particles.”
The technology would involve creation of highly clean air bubbles inside the canopy of free air and keep pollutants out. Further, it would create a barrier to prevent mixing of clean air with polluted air in ambient environmental conditions.
Setting up of smog towers could take a while though, said officials.
On the air purification units, the official said each would have two filters. “Pollution is more at the ground level and these units which are aimed to be around 5.5 feet from the ground should be able to tackle it. We would be able to remotely manage these units. In case of any maintenance issues like filters getting choked, we would get an alert through the online mechanism,” said an official requesting anonymity.
The BMC’s plans have not convinced many experts though. Bhagwan Kesbhat, founder of Waatavaran Foundation, a city environment group, said, “Mumbai’s rising air pollution has reached a level where it is not the time now to bandage the injury but rather to ensure a proper diagnosis.”
Civic officials have said they too are aware that air purifiers are not the only solution and under the city’s clean air initiative, they are working towards three broad goals—curb pollution concentration levels across various sectors, initiate a multi-level monitoring strategy for the city, and decentralise planning and increase community health awareness to reduce personal exposure.
The Maharashtra government’s former environment minister Aaditya Thackeray called the air purifiers an eyewash. “The ones put up earlier have failed and so have the ones put up in other states. This is purely vendor driven to exhaust the treasury. The real pollution stopper is to check it at the source—infrastructure works and building construction. But this government belongs to builders and contractors and doesn’t have the guts to go to them” said Thackeray, adding that the air purifiers are expensive and serve no real benefit.
“Also, a lot of building construction works have started simultaneously. None of these buildings follow 100% sound, dust or time rules. Plus, we don’t count the huge casting yards for metros/bridges as construction works. In addition, road works are going on as well,” said Thackeray.
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Originally Appeared Here