Mumbai: The Mumbai Congress on Sunday released a manifesto to control air pollution called the Mumbai Clean Air Action Plan. It stated that if the Congress comes to power in the BMC, it will make Mumbai pollution-free. The Congress’s air pollution manifesto promises that Mumbai’s AQI will be brought to a safe level of 40 to 60 in the next five years. “Pollution in Mumbai has reached a very bad level, and respiratory diseases are increasing. Mumbai residents do not even get clean air. Mumbai’s air becoming toxic is not the fault of nature but the result of the neglect, carelessness, and lack of efforts of the corrupt, irresponsible, and opportunistic govt. If the Congress comes to power, we will secure the right to breathe for Mumbaikars from the very first day of the BMC,” city Congress President MP Varsha Gaikwad said. The Congress said it will set up an Air Quality Management Department in BMC.“Roads are being paved on a large scale in Mumbai. Construction has increased on a large scale, while on the other hand, trees are being cut down on a large scale. Mumbai’s air is very bad, and Mumbai is ranked among the most polluted cities. The increasing pollution in Mumbai is the failure of the contractors and builders, and the govt that is inactive and indifferent to the pain of the people. The Mahayuti govt has poisoned Mumbai’s air and is endangering the lives of Mumbaikars and the future of the city. Congress will fight for the fundamental right of Mumbaikars to clean air. We announced the Mumbai Clean Air Action Plan, i.e., our manifesto with concrete measures against increasing air pollution,” Gaikwad said.“Clean air is the fundamental right of Mumbaikars – ‘Right to Clean Air’. We will enable Air Quality Monitoring infrastructure to monitor air quality – 24×7 monitoring in places with pollution hotspots. When Congress comes to power, a formal provision will be made in the municipal policy that ‘Clean air is the fundamental right of every Mumbaikar. Providing healthy air will be the first and highest responsibility of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation. Mumbai’s AQI will be brought to a safe level of 40 to 60 in the next five years,” the manifesto states.“Real-time AQI system across the city – information to the public, responsibility to the administration. Strict control on construction pollution, industrial and commercial smoke control – ‘Zero Black-Smoke Mumbai’, control traffic pollution – new roads, new vehicle policy. Comprehensive reforms in transport policy. Emergency action in severe AQI conditions – stricter than Delhi’s GRAP, protecting the health of citizens. Priority given to vulnerable groups – children, senior citizens, patients, labourers, expansion of green space – ‘Green Mumbai 2030’, plantation of 1 million trees in the next five years,” the manifesto states.
