Thane air in 2018 better than in 2017

As per survey, particulate matter (PM) 2.5 in Thane fell from 47.2 micron per cubic meter (mpcm) in 2017 to 38.6 mpcm in 2018

The air you breathed in 2018 was cleaner as compared to the air in 2017.

A woman walks past a dust control machine installed at Anad Nagar in Thane. (Praful Gangurde/ HT)

After a recent global air pollution survey revealed the amount of particulate matter in the city’s air had decreased in 2018, Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) said measures such as air pollution monitoring centres and dust absorbers helped the cause.

In the recent air pollution survey carried by IQAir AirVisual and Greenpeace, Thane was placed as the eight most-polluted city in the state, 52nd in India and 238th in the world.

As per survey, particulate matter (PM) 2.5 in Thane fell from 47.2 micron per cubic meter (mpcm) in 2017 to 38.6 mpcm in 2018. This made Thane less polluted than Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Nashik and Aurangabad.

An official from TMC pollution control department said, “Pollution levels at the junctions decreased in 2018. The air pollution index was 109% in 2017, but it fell to 89% last year.”

He added, “The major pollutant in Thane is PM. We do not have severe problem of Sulphur dioxide (SO2) or Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollutants. The pollution levels were low in Diwali [2018] as well.”

The corporation attributed the decline in pollution levels to the various initiatives taken in the past years.

The official added, “Out of four air pollution monitoring stations in the city, the one at Teen Haath Naka operates 24x7. In addition, we installed more than 40 dust control machines at more than 40 locations in the city. Owing to the wider roads, there is less traffic jam in the city. This limits release of pollutants. There is possibility that 2019 will be more polluted because the Metro work started recently.”

He said the corporation also planted more than five lakh trees in the last three years, which increased the green cover in the city and helped reduce pollution. The roads too are regularly cleaned, which decreases dust levels.

The TMC said it plans to start several initiatives in 2019 to reduce air pollution.

“We have proposed a monitoring station for PM 2.5 in the city. Electronic boards will be installed outside three air pollution monitoring stations, which will display pollution levels in their city,” the official added.

He said, “The tender has been floated to install a mist fountain, which will help settle dust, at Teen Hath Naka. Several bridges in the city will be covered with tendrils or creepers to give them a green look. We have also planned a green canopy over several footpaths in the city.”

Although the TMC is upbeat about the survey results, experts said the present level of pollution in the city does not mean the air is clean.

Vidyadhar Walavalkar, an environmentalist from Thane, said, “Though pollutant levels are less than the previous year, this should not be considered as a benchmark. These levels are temporary and keep fluctuating. Also, Yeoor forest on one side and a mangrove forest on the other side keep city’s air clean.”

He added chemical factories have moved out of the city in the last decade, which has helped reduce pollution.

“At present, the major causes of pollution are vehicular emissions and construction work. In the next 10 years, construction must be limited and several alternate modes of public transport should be made available to curb air pollution,” he added.

Another environmentalist Nagesh Tekale said trees cut in Mumbai for various infrastructure projects are higher as compared to Thane.