Series: Sustainable Cities Fellowship

For many Mumbaikars, ‘air pollution’ is a Delhi or at most a North Indian problem. Yet, Mumbai air itself says otherwise on many a day. But are city authorities really aware and equipped to take the steps they need to?

Government and policy makers assume solving Mumbai’s congestion and traffic problems solves everything else. But half a dozen new projects could have far reaching impact on the environment and people’s livelihoods.

For decades, waste has been Mumbai’s teeming, unsolvable problem. Slums around the city’s dumping ground are now Asia’s largest, exposing ragpickers and the general population to serious health risks. All plans and commitments to waste management, meanwhile, appear figurative.