Newlinkroad's Blog

Citizens staying along the New Link Road in Borivali and Dahisar came to stay there expecting peace and a healthy atmosphere free from the pollution of Mumbai city.

Investing their hard earned money they bought houses and settled down along the verdant coast filled with lush green mangroves. Their children grew up and started going to nearby schools.

Unfortunately this peaceful atmosphere was soon shattered.

They started getting cough, fever and breathlessness far more often.

That was when we realized that instead of nature and mangroves, a deadly monster has arisen in the CRZ 1 area.

India has the worst air pollution in the entire world, beating China, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, according to a study released during this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos. Of 132 countries whose environments were surveyed, India ranks dead last in the ‘Air (effects on human health)’ ranking. The annual study, the Environmental Performance Index, is conducted and written by environmental research centers at Yale and Columbia universities with assistance from dozens of outside scientists. The study uses satellite data to measure air pollution concentrations.

This is today morning’s photo taken from a tower along the Link road.

You will see that the residential buildings are clear, but there is a large amount of smoke coming out of the illegal slum colony adjoining the Link road, which have destroyed mangroves.

Smog hanging over cities is the most familiar and obvious form of air pollution. But there are different kinds of pollution—some visible, some invisible—that contribute to global warming. Generally any substance that people introduce into the atmosphere that has damaging effects on living things and the environment is considered air pollution.

One type of air pollution is the release of particles into the air from burning fuel for energy. Diesel smoke is a good example of this particulate matter . The particles are very small pieces of matter measuring about 2.5 microns or about .0001 inches. This type of pollution is sometimes referred to as “black carbon” pollution. The exhaust from burning fuels in slums and industries is a major source of pollution in the air. Some authorities believe that even the burning of wood and charcoal in fireplaces can release significant quantities of soot into the air.

Another type of pollution is the release of noxious gases, such as sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and chemical vapors. These can take part in further chemical reactions once they are in the atmosphere, forming smog and acid rain.

How much longer will innocent citizens suffer and die due to these illegal slums and their deadly smoke, which is damaging not only themselves but also innocent citizens.

As a Forum we are dedicated to removal of these slums and restoration of precious mangroves.