'Minute changes can make a big difference in reducing pollution'

What is significance of Earth Day 2010 for a city like Mumbai and an industrial state like Maharashtra?
The significance of Earth Day 2010 would be making us all realize about how important it is to conserve our environment. How we have to make efforts to treat nature safely and leave it the way we have inherited it. We are passing it on to the next generation, so Earth Day reminds us about the big responsibility we have.

What are the key initiatives launched by MPCB and the Environment Ministry for reducing pollution levels?
We have launched tons and tons of initiatives, more than 100 in fact. We are launching Urban Air Pollution and Health study. It is a study of Air Pollution and Health, which is the first of its kind. There has never been a study linking Air Pollution and Health This study is only for Mumbai. We have action plans to have this study conducted in Chandrapur, Solapur, Kolhapur and Pune also. The action plan has taken a lot of initiatives for switching over to cleaner fuel. In Pune it works out very well. We want to facilitate it to a large extent by introduction of better public transport.

As Mumbai is a visibly more polluted city than many other cities, what is your message to the citizens to reduce pollution?
Instead of waiting for the government to do something, each of us have a responsibility towards ourselves. First of all we have to make minor lifestyle changes. Whenever possible, instead of taking a vehicle, we should start walking more for instance. Among other initiatives we are trying to introduce a Mumbai walkathon in the month of December. Along with that we are also trying to devise a Walkability Index for Mumbai. This is not being done in India. We are trying to promote walking locally as a method to improve the environment as well as health benefit. There are several new initiatives, highlighting several minor things that citizens can do reduce the energy consumption. Replacement of bulbs should be only with CFLs. Ten new initiatives have been planned. Actually there are minute lifestyle changes, which every citizen can do and this will help reduce pollution to a great extent.

We are partnering with CII to bring environment guidelines for larger projects, taking an example of Green Buildings. It is still in the initial stages, it is yet to be launched. We are drawing up a big action plan we have is to reduce the pollution flowing into the rivers and lakes. One committee is formed with Under Secretary of the concerned departments like urban department, irrigation department, environment department, etc. As per the action plan, in the next 5 years there should not be even one single percent of polluted water in the pure water. We have made mapped the polluted areas. We have identified 45 towns to begin with. We are presenting it to the higher authorities. We have made river regulations stricter to prevent pollution. We have done a study with the National Institute of Oceanography.

How many incineration facilities for bio waste have been added across the state of Maharashtra? What is the present number? Are any more planned?
There are 31 facilities for bio waste presently. We have identified 5 more to be set up. There are some land issues involved; we should get land from the concerned body.

What steps have you planned for tackling e-waste?
E-waste is a very big issue; we have done a feasibility study to have integrated and recycling facility in Mumbai. Cities like Mumbai and Pune are the largest generators of e-waste. We have done studies in this regard and initiatives are being done in joint partnership with MMRDA, MPCB, Department of Environment and MIDC. We realise that one facility may not be able to cope but we first need to set up a full-fledged e-waste facility, it will be the first integrated facility in Asia.

Are there any air pollution related initiatives?
We have a Mumbai Action Plan for air quality, it is working quite well. Most of the new bus fleets are on CNG. The problem is we now have more number of vehicles on the road. We are also working on mangrove protection and restoration of mangroves.