Environmental Degradation in Mumbai Essay Example

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), spans a total area of 437. 71 km2 (169 sq mi), with the Island City spanning 67. 79 km2 (26 sq mi) and the suburban district spanning 370 km2 (143 sq mi). CLIMATE Lying in a tropical zone and near the Arabian Sea, Mumbai experiences two clear seasons, a humid season and a dry season. The humid season, between March and October, is characterized by high humidity and temperatures of over 30 °C (86 °F).

Between June and September, the monsoon rains lash the city, supplying most of the city's annual rainfall of 1,800 millimeters (70. 9 in), with an average of 600 millimeters (23. 6 in) falling in July alone. The maximum annual rainfall ever recorded was 3,452 millimeters (135. 9 in) in 1954. The highest rainfall recorded in a single day was 944 millimeters (37. 17 in) on 26 July 2005. The dry season, between November and February, is characterized by moderate levels of humidity and warm to cool weather. Cold northerly winds are responsible for a mild chill during January and February.

January is the coolest month of the year with mean daily minimum being 16. 4 °C (61. 5 °F). CULTURE Mumbai's culture is a blend of traditional festivals, food, music, and theatres. The city offers a lifestyle that is rich, cosmopolitan and diverse, with a variety of food, entertainment and nightlife, available in a form and abundance comparable to that in other world capitals. Mumbai's history as a major trading centre has led to a diverse range of cultures, religions and cuisines coexisting in the city. This unique mix of cultures is due to the migration of people from all over India since the 1600s. Mumbai residents celebrate both Western and Indian festivals. Diwali, Holi, Eid, Christmas,

Navratri, Good Friday, Dussera, Moharram, Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga Puja and Maha Shivratri are some of the popular festivals in the city. The Banganga Festival is a two-day music festival, held annually in the month of January, which is organised by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) at the historic Banganga Tank in Mumbai. The Elephanta Festival—celebrated every February on the Elephanta Islands—is dedicated to classical Indian dance and music and attracts performers from across the country.

Public holidays specific to the city and the state include Maharashtra Day on May 1, to celebrate the formation of Maharashtra state on 1 May 1960. CHRONIC RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS IN MUMBAI: Bombay has a very high incidence of chronic respiratory problems, arising from extreme air pollution. The causes of pollution are mainly industries in the eastern suburbs and New Bombay, garbage burning by the BMC, and insufficient control over emission levels from vehicles. Gas Chembur: Nightly burning of garbage at the 100 hectare Municipal Garbage Dump north of the Chembur-Vashi road affects Chembur, Ghatkopar, Mankhurd and New Bombay.

Environmental Health Rights Organization of India (EHROI) claims that the level of particulate matter around the dump is about 2000 microgrammes per cubic meter. WHO norms put an upper limit of 150. A recent study by the Environmental Pollution Research Centre (EPRC) found that about 10% of the population of Chembur suffer from bronchitis and respiratory distress caused by pollution. The study found that Sulphur dioxide levels have fallen in recent years, whereas nitrogen dioxide levels have risen. South Bombay:

The 22 air monitoring stations owned by the BMC carry out routine checks of nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and suspended particulate

matter. Carbon mono-oxide levels are not monitored. A recent study by the EPRC found very high levels of this gas from traffic exhausts. The high-risk areas were found to be VT, Bhendi Bazar and Parel. New Bombay: Located close to Thane-Belapur, the largest chemical industry zone in Asia, New Bombay is exposed to high levels of toxic and carcinogenic chemicals released by these industries.

Studies conducted in 1974 had led the Central Public Health Engineering Research Institute to oppose the proposed location of New Bombay. However, CIDCO ignored this advice and proceeded with the development. In a representation to the National Human Rights Commission, it has been pointed out that several chemical factories flout regulations by releasing noxious gases clandestinely at night. The memorandum alleges that chemical industries have not made investements into effluent processing. Crowded city * Although India remains 70-80% rural, it now has the largest urban population in the world – many of whom are slum dwellers. Every day, 550 million gallons of drinking water must be brought to Mumbai from a distance of over 100 miles. Two million people live with no toilet facilities. * Forty per cent of the formal sector jobs in Mumbai are concentrated within a two-mile radius of Flora Fountain around the Fort. There are 144 jobs for every 100 residents in the Fort area, creating enormous congestion. * There are more than 23 million vehicles in India. Over 60,000 people are killed on India’s roads each year. * Each day, despite large amounts of recycling, Mumbai produces 5,000 tons of garbage.

Chemical related disasters in past 10 years. * 1985: chlorine gas leak in Thane, 1

killed, 129 injured. * 1985: benzyl chloride gas leakage, 95 injured. * 1985: chlorine gas leak in Chembur, 1 killed, 149 injured. * 1985: chlorine gas leak in Thane, 141 affected. * 1988: refinery blaze at Chembur, 35 killed. * 1990: gas leak at Nagothane, 32 killed. * 1991: accident while nitrogen gas being transported on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway, 100 killed. * 1993: gas leak at Kalyam, 9 killed, 123 injured. MIGRANTS IN MUMBAI In 1780 there were only 114,000 people in Mumbai.

Today there are over 15 million. The price of land equals that of New York or Tokyo. And Mumbai has a population density of more than 17,000 people per square kilometer. THE SLUMS OF MUMBAI “Everywhere on the ground lay sleeping natives-- hundreds and hundreds. They lay stretched at full length and tightly wrapped in blankets, heads and all. Their attitude and rigidity counterfeited death” Mark Twain, on a nocturnal drive through Bombay in 1896 History of Slums:

Late in the 17th century, Gerald Aungier tried to attract traders and artisans to Bombay. As a result, the population grew six-fold in the fourteen years between 1661 and 1675. Some of the more prosperous traders built houses inside the British fort. The rest lived in crowded "native-towns" around the walls. These were probably the first slums to grow in Bombay. The problem of overcrowding certainly remained through the 18th century. A count made in 1794 found 1000 houses inside the fort walls and 6500 immediately outside.

All over the world, the 19th century saw the growth of slums give the lie to the idea of progress brought on by large-scale industrialization and the

understanding and control of diseases. Bombay was no exception. The cotton boom, followed by the rapid growth of mills and shipping drew a large population from the rest of the country into a city ill-equipped to deal with them. In the middle of the 19th century slums grew around the mills and other places of employment. The Birth of Slums Historically, slums have grown in Bombay as a response to a growth of population far beyond the capacity of existing housing.

Migrants are normally drawn to the city by the huge disparity between urban and rural income levels. Usually the residents of these densely populated enclaves live close to their place of work. The residential area itself does not provide employment. Bombay knows another reason for the formation of slums. As the city grew, it took over land that was traditionally used for other purposes. The Koli fishermen were displaced during the development of the harbour and port. Those driven out of the fishing villages improvised living space that was often far shabbier than before.

This process continues even now, at the end of the 20th century. On the other hand, some villages were encysted by the city growing around them. Dharavi, originally a village with a small tanning industry, has become a slum in this fashion. Many of the older slums in Byculla and Khar were initially separate villages, with their own traditional. Situation prevailing in slums SettlementCriteria| Dharavi| Settlement Unit’Bharantinga NagarEkta’ (Kurla)| Slum in Kalina | Matfalan, a Slum Close to Thane| Population| 800,000-1,000,000| 15,000| 2,500| 25,000| Slum since| ; 20 years| 16 years| 1910| ; 20 years|

ReligiousStructure| All religious groups, but

mostly in segregated settlements| Ethnically homogeneousstructure, Muslims| Ethnically homogeneousstructure, Neobuddhist| All religiousgroups, no ethnic heterogenization| SettlementStructure| Originally encourages anintermix of religiousgroups, but after the 1993riots religious segregation,settlement patterns, access to place of originand linguistic criteria| Community playsan important role,but no politicalengagement due to a ‘lack of time’| Community plays a key role for theInhabitants ; community collectsmoney for inhabitants ; very directly informal networking community|

However, warming is expected to continue beyond 2100 even if emissions stop, because of the large heat capacity of the oceans and the long lifetime of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. An increase in global temperature will cause sea levels to rise and will change the amount and pattern of precipitation, probably including expansion of subtropical deserts. The continuing retreat of glaciers, permafrost and sea ice is expected, with warming being strongest in the Arctic. Other likely effects include increases in the intensity of extreme weather events, species extinctions, and changes in agricultural yields. Global warming in Mumbai. Mumbai is among the world's cities that are vulnerable to global warming and rising sea levels.

The study, published in the journal Environment and Urbanization, listed Mumbai among cities Tokyo, New York, Shanghai, Jakarta and Dhaka being some of the others where millions are at risk of flooding and heavy storms. The study puts the number of people living in threatened coastal areas that lie at less than 33 feet above sea level -- worldwide at 634 million, and growing. The study, said to be the first to identify the world's low-lying coastal areas, said that some 75 percent of all people living in vulnerable areas are in Asia. The five nations

with the largest total population living in risky coastal areas are all in Asia: China, India, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Indonesia.

St Petersburg, Barcelona and New York - who faced similar situation like Mumbai, have come out with their own solutions. At St Petersburg, they constructed a dam outside the city limit and also a wall because of which the high tide does not hit the city directly. Though this is not possible for a city like Mumbai, which is surrounded by sea. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) was geared up for the day and had taken several precautionary measures, like evacuating people from low-lying areas. NOISE POLLUTION Noise is probably the most frequently forgotten of the environmental pollutants, yet its effects can be many and far-reaching. Millions of people on all continents are exposed to unhealthy levels of noise.

Perhaps 150 million US citizens live in areas where the daily average noise levels exceed the US Environmental Protection Agency's safe noise level of an average of 55 decibels. What is a truly safe level of noise is controversial; levels of between 55 and 65 dB have been used for planning purposes in the USA and have been called "acceptable". In Hong Kong over a million people live in even noisier environments. Sources of noise pollution The sources of noise pollution vary. In some places noise from construction projects predominates, vehicular traffic or noise from airports. Other sources include the noise in occupational settings or even the noise of simultaneous conversations.

Effects of noise pollution Noise pollution affects nearly every aspect of life and probably has damaging physical effects as well. The best-studied and best-defined effect on

physical health is the effect of noise on hearing. The research results are clear: loud or sustained noise can damage hearing. The source of the noise is not very important; it can be a pile driver or rock music. What is important is that it can have a lasting impact. Noise pollution also impacts people's sleep. It can result in mood problems and adversely affect job performance. Several research studies suggest that noise can cause high blood pressure and psychiatric diseases.

Some of these studies are controversial and are contested by other researchers because so many variables such as age,state of health, diet, smoking and drinking habits, socioeconomic factors, and other sources of environmental and social are taken into account . It is clear, however, that noise, even though a "non-specific stressor", does cause a physical response. It elicits the same responses as a perceived physical threat would produce: it activates the nervous system, causes the muscles to tense and the heart rate and respiratory rate to increase and prepares the body to fight or to run away. This response-called the "fight or flight" response--underlies all responses to stress. The long-term effects of this kind of stimulus, of being ready to flee or give battle, are not completely understood.

Being continuously under stress is something like sitting on the edge of your chair or waiting for the other shoe to drop. It is also important to remember that people who sense that they have some control over what happens in their lives are impacted less strongly by stressors than those who feel they have no control, and noise is something over which we have very

little control. Noise affects us in another significant way: people exposed to noise feel a greater sense of frustration and annoyance than people whose environment is not as noisy. Annoyance is the expression of the negative feelings experienced when one's activities or the enjoyments of one’s surroundings are disrupted.

Annoyance can have a major impact on the quality of life and is generally a variable examined when studying the impact of noise. In addition to the other environmental pollutants, noise can affect not only our moods but also our physical well being, and, just like water and air pollution, must be subject to greater study and more stringent controls. How to reduce the noise pollution There are some things you can do to help yourself while governments get around to tightening the standards for noise pollution, though. You can use air conditioning to allow you to keep windows closed during the noisiest times of the day. This is of course only an interim solution, since air onditioning uses more electricity which raises your energy costs and also requires more power plants which in turn create more air or other forms of pollution. Furthermore, when rooms are closed up indoor air pollution becomes a problem. But it can be a good short-term solution. You can buy small noise-canceling devices which sample the frequencies of sound and create other sound waves which in essence collide with the noxious sounds and batter them into other, less disturbing sounds. These devices are relatively effective. You can use other sound-generating devices such as stereo systems, which cover up some of the more disturbing sounds with more pleasurable ones. This is

short-term solution.

And of course, if none of the other suggestions works, you can become active in your community to work with your local authorities to devise solutions to the problem of noise pollution which may be uniquely suited to you and to the place you live, making life wherever you may be better for everyone. INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION Drive down the Mumbai-Pune highway and you will witness the horrible truth of industrialization. Hundreds of industrial units dealing with chemicals and fertilisers dump their sludge along the roadside. Chimneys emit gases that make breathing difficult. “Industrial units never stop polluting, and people cannot stop working for them.

So, it is a treadmill that ends only with a painful death,” says Rajesh Panicker, an industrial worker of Panvel in Maharashtra. A few hours of travelling northwards of Mumbai will take you to the Vapi Industrial Estate of southern Gujarat. At Kolak village, about 15 km away from the estate, you will get statistics of a very different kind. “Sixty people have died of cancer in the village in the past 10 years, while 20 others are fighting a losing battle,” says Ganpat B Tandel, former sarpanch (head) of the village council, who has been vehemently opposing pollution of the Kolak river by the industrial estate. Nearly 20 years ago, cancer cases were not so rampant.

But factories of the estate, which produce pesticides, agrochemicals, organ chlorines dyes and dye intermediates, have been dumping untreated effluents in the river. Most residents of the village are fisher folk who eat fish from the river. In Maharashtra, the problem is compounded by the absence of credible data. “It is difficult

to find any data on the environmental status. The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board does not come out with any study on pollution. So the people do not have strong baseline data to contest the powerful industry lobby,” says T N Mahadevan, a scientist who is also the secretary of Society for Clean Air, a Mumbai based NGO. Lack of information paralyses the battle against pollution. ” Case study of industrial pollution Mohanty has been working in the Daru Khana ship breaking yard of Chembur for the past 15 years. It is a life without any dignity due to a living being. Everyday for 8-10 hours he inhales toxic fumes from the abandoned ships that he breaks. The fear of explosion looms large. His best friend died last month in an explosion while breaking a ship. “In the past 15 years, I have got tuberculosis three times. The doctors say I have to quit this job and to shift to a cleaner place,” he says. He stays in Deonar, Maharashtra’s largest solid waste dumping ground.

In violation of a Mumbai High Court orders, prohibiting burning of wastes, wastes are still burnt in Deonar. For Aniruddha, clean air is impossibility. CONCLUSION People should be precautious in what they drink, eat and breathe . People should not sit aside and watch. People should take initiate to recycle and use. They should be precautionary measures so that Mumbai remains a better place to live. We should leave a better world for our children to live on. We should not be in a situation where our children point at us and say ‘because of them we are living in a

dirty world’. Let us work towards creating a cleaner world so that our children can lead a happy life.