Mumbai Air Pollution: BJP Corporator Swapna Mhatre Seeks Smoking Restrictions As Doctor Flags Respiratory Complaints

Mumbai's air quality has raised concerns as BJP corporator Swapna Mhatre seeks stricter restrictions on smoking, citing its impact on the surrounding area. Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Mhatre suggested treating smoking as a contributor to air pollution alongside vehicle emissions and garbage burning. She proposed similar restrictions like spitting, along with strict fines for violators.

Dr Tushar Palve, Medical Superintendent of Cama Hospital, reported an increase in respiratory complaints such as sore throat, upper respiratory tract infections, eye irritation, and breathlessness. He linked air pollution to non-communicable diseases, which cause an estimated five to seven million deaths worldwide annually. Factors contributing to air pollution, according to Palve, include increasing vehicles, construction activity, dust from cement and sand, festival celebrations, firecrackers, morning fog, and heat.

Ankit Prabhu, Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator, criticized the Mumbai Climate Action Plan's implementation, pointing out construction sites violating pollution control measures. He demanded strict action against errant sites, including show-cause and stop-work notices. Prabhu also urged the civic administration to establish an Environmental and Climate Change Committee within the BMC.

Mumbaikars expressed concerns over reduced visibility, foul smells, and the overall impact of pollution on daily life. The BMC has implemented measures like sensor-based air-quality monitoring, deep cleaning of roads, and encouraging cleaner fuels, with positive results such as a 48% decline in PM10 concentration between 2017–18 and 2025–26.