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World environment day: Mumbai lost 60% of its green cover in 40 years
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| NYOOOZ , Monday, June 05, 2017 |
| Correspondent
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| The city’s development has come at the cost of the environment, a recent study confirmed. The study, led by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, states 94% of the city has been paved and concretised in the past four decades, and in the process lost 60% of its vegetation and 65% of its water bodies. “Mumbai, with one of the highest amount of sprawl, is heading towards a complete urban disaster. Basic amenities such as water and vegetation for pure air will be almost non-existent if planners do not take note and stop unplanned urbanisation and outgrowth in the urban periphery,” professor Bharath H Aithal, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, co-author of the study, told HT. Studying patterns of urbanisation in four metros — Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai — with a 10-km buffer zone, the four-member team found that urban growth was the highest in Mumbai (majority in north east and south east regions) followed by Kolkata (89%), Chennai (88%) and Delhi (87%). The city’s tree cover, which was more than 35% in the 1970s, is less than 13% today.
Scientists from IISc said a region should have at least 33% green cover to ensure adequate oxygen to its citizens. Researchers said unplanned urbanisation in cities such as Mumbai has an impact on the environment and eventually on health. In fact, a study by Environment Policy and Research India (EPRI) has listed solid waste management, noise pollution (traffic and construction noise), cutting trees for infrastructure projects, water pollution, air pollution and urban heat islands as the major environmental issues plaguing Mumbai. “Mumbai is facing several environmental problems that are rising by the day,” said Avick Sil, regional director, EPRI. “The city needs a comprehensive environmental plan for the next five years, which is similar to a development plan for the city.
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| SOURCE
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https://www.nyoooz.com/news/mumbai/829812/world-environment-day-mumbai-lost-60-of-its-green-cover-in-40-years/ |
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