dna spoke to various experts, environmentalists and activists to find out the way ahead.

Study air pollution in detail

Environmentalist SumairaAbdulali said there are several studies done by various organisations compiling different reports on air quality, but its time that the state government appointed one agency and asked for a detailed study on air pollution.

"There are several basic yet key points missing at the moment, including the overall understanding as to what is the biggest concern for Mumbai when it comes to the air quality, or what is the biggest contributor to bad air. Hence, ideally, we need a one detailed report with a lot of data that not only studies the whole Mumbai Metropolitan Region but also individual cities — Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai and others — and then specifies action to be taken for present and future concerns," she said.

A senior government official, affirming the need for such a study, said one can't wait to reach a situation like the one Delhi or even Beijing. "There is a need of a chief minister-appointed expert committee, comprising the best experts, that should come up with a detailed dossier, after studying the present air quality, and offer solutions and prepare an action plan for the next two-three decades," he added.

Tackle dust pollution; authorities must enforce work area management

With dust from paved and unpaved roads as well as construction sites, and garbage burning being reported as the highest sources of particulate matter pollutants, environmentalists say the time has come when elected representatives need to push the state government to not only make strict rules regarding work area management for construction and other activities leading to air pollution, but also enforce it by imposing high fines.

Environmentalist Rishi Aggarwal said Mumbai has been seeing continuous construction in the last decade and this will go on for the next decade or so given the several infrastructure projects announced as well as large scale re-development of buildings. However, rules pertaining to ensuring minimum dust pollution are always neglected, he added.

"I have been documenting several places where construction is or was going on, be it the Metro rail work on Andheri-Kurla road or the construction at Bandra-Kurla Complex or any other road re-laying or concretisation work.

At every place the dust pollution affects residents of nearby buildings, pedestrians, bikers and others as there is no adherence to laws. These laws put the onus of ensuring that dust pollution is zero or minimum on contractors.

Hence, there is an urgent need for people to push elected representatives to ensure strict implementation of work area management by contractors," said Aggarwal.

He pointed out that people working and residing at BKC would be the worst hit due to particulate pollutants in the form of dust. "The MMRDA keeps harping on about making Mumbai a smart city when it has not been able to enforce strict laws pertaining to air pollution on the construction activity being carried out... Rules state that there should be zero dust around construction sites," he said, adding that even opens trucks carrying debris are flouting all rules.

According to a senior BMC official from the environment department, its own Environment Status Report has blamed unregulated and unchecked construction activity for the rising air pollution. "The rules are clear — all agencies carrying out work on any infrastructure project should ensure that control measures (sweeping machines as well as water jets) fight dust pollution. Even real estate construction agencies have to follow the zero-dust policy, but the fact remains that these rules are being violated," he said.

Fix an agency for people to lodge their grievances with

There is no proper mechanism or system in place that can lead to quick or immediate redressal — this is one of the biggest issues faced by not only environmentalists but also residents, who want to register complaints about activities carried out either by government authorities or private entities that cause air pollution.

Harish Pandey, a social activist from Dahisar who is also president of the New Link Road Residents Forum, said they have been trying to highlight rampant burning of scrap in the slums of GanpatPatil Nagar, which leads to the area being enveloped by smog. He added that the BMC and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) keep passing on their complaints to each other, when ideally, the BMC should look into these issues.

"The city needs an agency where citizens can lodge complaints round the clock and be assured of action against such issues," said Pandey, adding that there is no way a common man wanting to file a complaint on air pollution can find out which official s/he is supposed to approach from the MPCB.

Seconding Pandey, Aggarwal said the environment department of the local BMC ward office should be made the one-window agency to handle these complaints and reports should be submitted depending on the gravity of the issue. "Also, the MPCB needs to put up details of all its regional offices along with mobile phone numbers of its officials," he added.