Mumbai: Study finds nearly half of city bakeries using firewood

(From left) Cyrus Guzder president BEAG, Dr Tuhin Banerji project lead & Hema Ramani former campaign director BEAG

The Bombay Environmental Action Group (BEAG) has found in a six-month-long study that over 47.10 per cent of bakeries use firewood, contributing to the emission of particulate matter. The BEAG team met with civic officials to discuss the issue and proposed converting these wood-based bakeries to environmentally friendly fuel. In the Bandra-Khar West area, around 52 per cent of bakeries are wood-based, the highest percentage in the city, according to the study. The study also estimated that around 700 bakeries are not registered with the civic authority.

Hema Ramani, campaign director, said, "We conducted the study over six months and visited almost 200 bakeries out of the 628 registered with the BMC. We found that around 47.10 per cent of bakeries are using wood in their ovens." She added, "We discovered that there are limitations to storing Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in the bakeries and challenges in providing connections for Piped Natural Gas (PNG). So, the best alternative is an electric oven." Ramani further stated, "We met Deputy Municipal Commissioner Nimesh Pimple, who is in charge of the Environment department, as well as an official from the Maharashtra State Pollution Control Board. The BMC showed a positive approach and asked us to conduct a workshop with bakeries. We are not against bakeries; we just want them to convert from wood-based fuel."

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According to the research, 47.10 per cent of the 200 surveyed registered bakeries predominantly use wood as fuel, primarily sourced as scrap wood from old furniture and dilapidated buildings due to its lower cost compared to logwood. Larger wood-consuming bakeries reported daily usage of 250 to 300 kilograms of wood, while the average wood consumption for wood-fired bakeries was approximately 130 kilograms daily. To process 20 kilograms of flour, about 4-5 kilograms of wood are required. The cost of scrap wood is around Rs 4-5 per kilogram, whereas logwood costs Rs 10-12 per kilogram.

The ash generated from wood-fired bakeries is often disposed of in dumping grounds, contributing to air pollution. Of all the wards visited and surveyed, E Ward, which covers Byculla and Mazagaon, had the highest number of bakeries (23), followed closely by B and K/West wards with 21 visits each. E Ward also had the highest usage of wood and electricity, with 12 and 7 bakeries respectively. The H West ward, which covers Bandra and Khar West, has 19 bakeries, of which 10 are wood-based. The K/West ward (Andheri-Jogeshwari West) notably relies heavily on LPG, with 13 out of 21 bakeries using it.

Dr Tuhin Banerji, project head of the "Envisioning a Sustainable Bakery Industry for Mumbai" study, said, "According to our estimates based on an IIT Bombay study from 2023, the emission of PM10 from 72 wood-based bakeries is 1,18,207.44 kg per year, while the emission of PM2.5 is 80,381.06 kg per year. The environmental impact of these practices is staggering. Emissions from wood-fired ovens are a major source of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), tiny particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs, causing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases." The report also mentioned, "Burning scrap wood produces volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are harmful due to the presence of glue in the wood. These compounds can cause cancer, asthma, and many other diseases, and also contribute to the formation of haze and ground-level ozone." Dr Banerji further stated, "We estimate that around 700 bakeries are not registered with the BMC."