A study released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a New Delhi-based not-for-profit public interest research and advocacy organisation, found massive coal use in industries in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) might be a major factor affecting the air quality of Mumbai and its surrounding areas. Every year, two million tonnes of coal is burnt here, the study added.

The study, published on February 15 in a webinar organised by CSE, has analysed and estimated the air pollution load from various industrial sectors in the major industrial areas of MMR — Trans-Thane Creek (TTC), Taloja, Ambernath and Dombivli city. These four areas cover about 70 per cent of industries operating in the MMR.

The major findings of the study are that the TTC industrial cluster is the most polluting of all, medium and small-scale enterprises are a major contributor to pollution, and that the chemical industries sector has the highest contribution in the pollution load (nearly 72 per cent) in the region.

Out of the four regions studied, TTC contributed about 44 per cent of the total load from the studied areas, making it a major pollution hotspot; this was followed by the Taloja Industrial Area with a contribution of about 26 per cent. Dombivli residents were found to suffer the maximum exposure to pollution.

“Mumbai is a coastal region and is, hence, not expected to have very high levels of pollution. But with rapid industrial and infrastructural development, the air quality of the region has started deteriorating,” said Nivit Kumar Yadav, programme director, industrial pollution unit, CSE, at the webinar.

“The city needs to wake up and take corrective action to avoid turning into a pollution pressure-cooker like Delhi,” Yadav added.

Experts from CSE warned that inaction may lead to Mumbai’s air turning as toxic as Delhi’s. And hence, banning coal use, bringing clean fuel policy, strengthening air quality monitoring and deterrence systems, improving infrastructure and technology use, and modifying criteria to push ‘unclean’ industries out of the city limits are the need of the hour to improve air quality of the region.

The study has assessed the polluting industries of the region using information related to type of fuel, its consumption and type of combustion equipment.

MSMEs are a major contributor to the pollution

The Comprehensive Environment Pollution Index (CEPI) assessments have identified three locations in the MMR as ‘critically polluted areas’ —  Chembur, Dombivli and Navi Mumbai. However, the study by CSE found that emissions from these units are controlled as the norms for large industrial sectors are more stringent compared to those of Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

TTC industrial cluster most polluting 

The TTC industrial area, accounting for 44 per cent of the total industrial pollution load, has the highest consumption of coal- and agro-based fuels —  nearly 60 per cent of the coal and 70 per cent of agro-residues consumed in the areas studied. “The reasons behind the high pollution levels could be the use of solid fuels, ‘dirty’ fuels like coal and agro-based fuels furnace oil,” informed Yadav.

MMR’s chemical industries sector is a major polluter

With around 72 per cent, the chemical sector has the highest contribution in the pollution load in the region. It is a fuel-intensive industry, with total usage of all types of fuel at about 3.1 million tonnes per annum, noted the study.

Dombivli residents suffer the maximum exposure to pollution

The non-profit’s indicative monitoring of particulate matter, designed to capture local exposure, found that the Patalganga industrial area in Navi Mumbai (near Panvel) has the lowest exposure. However, Dombivli has the highest. Poor road infrastructure and high levels of uncontrolled pollution from surrounding industries could be the reasons for ’s high particulate matter content in the air.

The way ahead

Against the backdrop of the challenges outlined for the industrial sector, the non-profit has developed a comprehensive action plan for the MMR.

Ban coal use, bring clean fuel policy

Considering the scale of dirty fuel usage in MMR’s industrial areas, CSE suggests expeditation of  fuel shift in industries from conventional polluting fuel (coal, furnace oil, etc) to cleaner and non-polluting fuel (PNG, electricity etc).

The study continued to suggest a policy to incentivise use of clean fuel. For instance, cleaner fuels like biomass and natural gas need to be less expensive. Removal of value-added tax (VAT) on natural gas and inclusion of natural gas under Goods and Services Tax (GST) would be positive steps.

Strengthen air quality monitoring and deterrence systems

As per the study, continuous monitoring of Volatile Organic Compounds in the ambient air is a must in industrial areas where chemical industries are predominant. Also needed are the development of an air toxics emissions inventory and control plan for the MMR region, identifying and monitoring toxics, as well as assessing health risk through exposure modelling.

The study suggests developing a sector-specific pollution assessment study for chemical industries for pollution abatement. A unique strategy of cross-regional inspection, already devised and implemented by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) in Taloja, can be replicated in other regions, it said.

Inspection of industries should be done by MPCB officers drawn from other regions, and a mechanism created for penalties for the MSME sector for not installing and using air pollution control devices, it suggested.

Improve infrastructure and technology use

The study also suggested four more action plans — maintaining infrastructure and conducting need assessments for development of roads and drainage lines, providing subsidies for purchase of air pollution control devices, particularly for small and medium-scale units, exploring the possibility of a common solvent recovery plant in chemical clusters, and common steam generation units for industrial sectors clusters.

As per the study, modifying criteria to push unclean industries out of city limits is also needed so as to clearly demarcate the boundaries of residential and industrial areas.