Actress Dia Mirza pulls BMC's ears, wants Mumbai to breathe 'Clean Air'

Mumbai, April 4 (IANS) Actress-environmentalist Dia Mirza and other worried citizens have urged the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to make efforts to curb pollution and ensure 'clean air' for Mumbaikars.

Mirza, along with Sumaira Abdulali (Awaaz Foundation), Hema Ramani (BEAG), Shruti Panchal and Rasika Nachankar (Waatavaran Foundation) met the Additional Municipal Commissioner Sanjeev Kumar on Monday and submitted suggestions for a 10-year action plan to reduce health risks posed by the city's high levels of air pollution.

Part of the Clean Air Mumbai (CAM) network, they discussed the culprits responsible for pollution like construction and demolition wastes, solid waste management and the need for an institutional framework to tackle air pollution at the ground level in the country's commercial capital.

The action plan includes measures to improve Mumbai's air quality by reducing vehicle emissions, promoting public transportation and encouraging the use of clean energy sources, since "clean air is a basic human right and timely collective action is needed to protect it".

The CAM group also urged for collaboration with urban local bodies, research institutions like National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay, builders' associations and civil society organisations.

"The negative effects of air pollution on public health are clearly visible... and are to blame for increasing respiratory illnesses and heart conditions. Reports have established that air pollution stunts children's brain development and even causes cancer," said Mirza.

Abdulali said ward-wise committees, enforcement of rules and environmental standards during building along with citizen friendly complaint mechanisms are the need of the hour.

Mirza added that the amount of particulate matter (PM) in Mumbai has reached an all-time high and other pollutants continue to vitiate the air that our senior citizens and children are breathing.

Ramani said that the BMC was very receptive to the suggestions regarding the necessity of capacity building of the administration along with creating awareness and sensitising citizens.

As announced in the recent Budget 2023-2024, the BMC is planning to issue public health advisories at the Ward levels, and drive campaigns with citizens groups on air pollution, tree-cutting, waste management, noise pollution, among others.

The CAM member expressed hope that the civic body and the citizenry can collaborate to create a road map for a cleaner and healthier Mumbai and improve the quality of air that the people breathe.

In recent times, the BMC has cracked the whip to reduce pollution at various levels and taken a series of measures in this regard which are expected to fructify soon.

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