According to TERI's associate director for western region, Anjali Parasnis, around four lakh truck trips are made per year from Nashik, Pune and other parts of westernMaharashtra, Gujarat and Konkan to supply eggs, milk and vegetables in MMR.

The trucks consume nearly 400 lakh litres of fuel, leading to 1.71 lakh tonnes of Co2 emissions besides frequent fatal mishaps. This, the study says, can be avoided by propagating urban farming that has the potential to revive land use on MMR's 650 sq km wasteland by converting it for agriculture use and thus create employment opportunities for lakhs to boost the region's economy. The population in MMR has doubled between 2001 and 2011 and is projected to grow by 50% by 2031. Increasing carbon footprint is leading to an increase in the average day temperature by a few degrees and also in the humidity levels in Mumbai.

The study suggests that if people in the region took up urban farming-that is, vegetable farms, dairies and hatcheries-the truck trips, fuel consumption and emissions can be reduced in a big way. Such businesses, if promoted by the government, will not only generate self-employment and jobs but will give rise to

allied businesses. According to the study, the total annual egg requirement of MMR is 13 crore eggs, which means around 5,46,218 hens would be required. In order to raise so many hens, farm space of around 10,92,436 sq. ft (0.109 sq km) would be required, which translates into 109 poultry farms. "MMR harbours almost 656 sq km area as wasteland area," said surveyors and analysts who were part of the study.

"If 600 sq km of wasteland in proximity to agricultural land in MMR is used for cultivating vegetables, 7,61,688.6tonnes of vegetables (600x1269.481) can be cultivated. In other words, 120 sq km area is required to meet MMR's total demand of 1,80,000tonnes of vegetables. In 2001-02, vegetable production was 27,676 tonnes and the total area under cultivation was 25.07sqkm," said the analysts.