UNHEALTHY STATE OF AFFAIRS
Air Pollution, Unclean Water & Rising Population Are Being Blamed For Mumbai Ending Up On The Worlds Dirtiest List
Sukhada Tatke | TNN
Mumbai: Are we that dirty? Yes, said several Mumbaikars, while also offering reasons for why Mumbai ended up seventh on a list of the worlds dirtiest cities. The list, compiled by Forbes, was based on Mercer Human Resource Consultings 2007 Health and Sanitation Rankings, which is part of a larger Quality of Living study.
Worrying was that Mumbais health and sanitation was ranked worse than even war-torn Baghdads, which was eighth on the list. In the overall Quality of Living list, Baghdad ranked the worst.
True or mistaken, such rankings have raised shock and concern among Mumbaikars in a city aiming to become an international financial centre in the 21st century with a slew of ongoing construction and infrastructure projects.
The dirty tag is an all-encompassing one that includes the government and the services it offers. It is not just about whether the ordinary citizen spits on the road, but about the health-care and sanitation being offered to him or her. Parameters included the quality and availability of medical services, levels of air pollution and infections, the efficiency of waste and sewage removal and so on.
Doctors in the city said levels of air pollution have seen a phenomenal increase in the past few years, resulting in several diseases. The number of patients with respiratory and infectious diseases is on the rise continually. The local immune system is not very strong. Proper hygiene is extremely crucial, said Dr Ashok Mahashur of Hinduja Hospital. He added that filthy conditions have led to many malaria cases. Meanwhile, there is a large incidence of HIV and tuberculosis too. Dr Hemant Thakkar, of Jaslok Hospital, said most problems are man made. If problems persist and things are not taken care of soon, the level of water-borne diseases will increase too, he said.
The insufficient supply of clean water and poor sewage removal are huge concerns. According to Simpreet Singh, of the National Alliance of Peoples Movement, the government must pay attention to sanitation needs. The state often gives a delayed response when there is a water crisis. Drinking water becomes polluted with sewage water and the situation in the slums is bad. It is the civic bodys responsibility to provide basic amenities and keep tabs, he said. Activists also said that the burden on the infrastructure due to the increasing population creates an unhealthy environment. Mumbai is the third most densely populated city in the world, said activist Savita Mehra, who works in the field of solid waste management, and more than 8,000 tons of garbage is lifted every day. However, she added, There should be a comparative study linking the geographics of the city, its climate, infrastructure and population. Only then can we arrive at a fair conclusion.
Civic management as well as worker unions defend their effort to keep the city clean. Additional municipal commissioner R A Rajeev said it is not fair to compare developing cities with developed ones. The parameters should be more equal. One cannot compare Mumbai, which has 60% of people living in sub-human conditions, to a developed country.
Worker unions said Mumbai, with its huge population influx, is not an easy city to keep clean, especially when there is so much development happening simultaneously. Mumbai is in a peculiar situation where the influx is always rising. To accommodate that, the maximum amount of cleaning is done regularly. However, the major problem is the massive construction work being carried out. The debris left behind causes problems, said Sharad Rao, union leader.
Meanwhile, some say dont just blame the slums. It is a misconception that poverty is the greatest pollutant. I believe that profligacy is. The nouveaux riche are the ones who consume more and spend more, said environmentalist Bittu Sahgal. Toxins and poisons that cannot be seen are most hazardous. We have become very far removed from nature and dont seem to care any more.
BAD REPORT CARD
2. “Most Indian cities are densely populated with poor waste removal and sewage systems. These issues, combined with increasing air pollution, contribute to their relatively low ratings,” according to a release from Mercer, which did the survey
3. “India’s government hopes to transform Mumbai back into a burgeoning metropolis after recent economic decline,” says Forbes. “A recent private-sector report, Vision Mumbai, proposed changes in infrastructure, pollution control and economic growth strategy, which contributed to the seeking of approximately $1 billion of aid from Indian government.”
4. “You’ll find just about everything except marine life in New Delhi’s Yamuna River. Garbage and sewage flow freely, creating a rich environment for the growth of waterborne diseases contributing to extremely high rates of infant morbidity,” says Forbes
THE DIRTIEST CITIES 1. Baku, Azerbaijan
Worrying was that Mumbais health and sanitation was ranked worse than even war-torn Baghdads, which was eighth on the list. In the overall Quality of Living list, Baghdad ranked the worst.
True or mistaken, such rankings have raised shock and concern among Mumbaikars in a city aiming to become an international financial centre in the 21st century with a slew of ongoing construction and infrastructure projects.
The dirty tag is an all-encompassing one that includes the government and the services it offers. It is not just about whether the ordinary citizen spits on the road, but about the health-care and sanitation being offered to him or her. Parameters included the quality and availability of medical services, levels of air pollution and infections, the efficiency of waste and sewage removal and so on.
Doctors in the city said levels of air pollution have seen a phenomenal increase in the past few years, resulting in several diseases. The number of patients with respiratory and infectious diseases is on the rise continually. The local immune system is not very strong. Proper hygiene is extremely crucial, said Dr Ashok Mahashur of Hinduja Hospital. He added that filthy conditions have led to many malaria cases. Meanwhile, there is a large incidence of HIV and tuberculosis too. Dr Hemant Thakkar, of Jaslok Hospital, said most problems are man made. If problems persist and things are not taken care of soon, the level of water-borne diseases will increase too, he said.
The insufficient supply of clean water and poor sewage removal are huge concerns. According to Simpreet Singh, of the National Alliance of Peoples Movement, the government must pay attention to sanitation needs. The state often gives a delayed response when there is a water crisis. Drinking water becomes polluted with sewage water and the situation in the slums is bad. It is the civic bodys responsibility to provide basic amenities and keep tabs, he said. Activists also said that the burden on the infrastructure due to the increasing population creates an unhealthy environment. Mumbai is the third most densely populated city in the world, said activist Savita Mehra, who works in the field of solid waste management, and more than 8,000 tons of garbage is lifted every day. However, she added, There should be a comparative study linking the geographics of the city, its climate, infrastructure and population. Only then can we arrive at a fair conclusion.
Civic management as well as worker unions defend their effort to keep the city clean. Additional municipal commissioner R A Rajeev said it is not fair to compare developing cities with developed ones. The parameters should be more equal. One cannot compare Mumbai, which has 60% of people living in sub-human conditions, to a developed country.
Worker unions said Mumbai, with its huge population influx, is not an easy city to keep clean, especially when there is so much development happening simultaneously. Mumbai is in a peculiar situation where the influx is always rising. To accommodate that, the maximum amount of cleaning is done regularly. However, the major problem is the massive construction work being carried out. The debris left behind causes problems, said Sharad Rao, union leader.
Meanwhile, some say dont just blame the slums. It is a misconception that poverty is the greatest pollutant. I believe that profligacy is. The nouveaux riche are the ones who consume more and spend more, said environmentalist Bittu Sahgal. Toxins and poisons that cannot be seen are most hazardous. We have become very far removed from nature and dont seem to care any more.
BAD REPORT CARD
1. In the health and sanitation survey, Mumbai ranked below war-torn Baghdad. (In the overall Quality of Living Survey, Baghdad ranked the worst out of 215 countries)
2. “Most Indian cities are densely populated with poor waste removal and sewage systems. These issues, combined with increasing air pollution, contribute to their relatively low ratings,” according to a release from Mercer, which did the survey
3. “India’s government hopes to transform Mumbai back into a burgeoning metropolis after recent economic decline,” says Forbes. “A recent private-sector report, Vision Mumbai, proposed changes in infrastructure, pollution control and economic growth strategy, which contributed to the seeking of approximately $1 billion of aid from Indian government.”
4. “You’ll find just about everything except marine life in New Delhi’s Yamuna River. Garbage and sewage flow freely, creating a rich environment for the growth of waterborne diseases contributing to extremely high rates of infant morbidity,” says Forbes
DUBIOUS DISTINCTION
THE DIRTIEST CITIES 1. Baku, Azerbaijan
2. Dhaka, Bangladesh
3. Antananarivo, Madagascar
4. Port au Prince, Haiti
5. Mexico City, Mexico
6. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
7. Mumbai, India
8. Baghdad, Iraq
9. Almaty, Kazakhstan
10. Brazzaville, Congo
24. New Delhi, India