You and I are also responsible for air pollution

Pic/Satej Shinde

The air quality of Mumbai and its surrounding areas, following Diwali celebrations, remained in the ‘moderate' category as haze continued to obscure the city's skyline, according to reports. Meanwhile, the latest Mumbai weather updates from the India Meteorological Department indicated a temperature rise.

Meanwhile, as air pollution levels continue to rise in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has revised guidelines issued last year for construction sites.

Air quality has continued to grab headlines for the past few days, with pollution concerns on the rise. Even as citizens fret, there is a feeling of helplessness or people are clueless about what they can do about the situation.

Like every drop fills up an ocean, every single person can take some onus when it comes to air quality. Timely checks for cars for PUC certificates are a must. People should not err as with the number of vehicles on the road, this is a vital factor in the fight against pollution.

Try to use public transport when possible. This may sound Utopian but slight tweaks and changes can add up to a substantial amount. Encourage carpooling. All this makes the number of vehicles go down, and even a slight reduction is a good attempt.

There have been a number of tree plantation initiatives. One accepts that these are not in the middle of the city, in the most concretised parts, as is needed but planting even one tree is helpful. If, as ordinary citizens, one can get involved in the tree planting initiatives and contribute to some greening then it is worth it.
Having said that, one is well aware that our decision-makers lead some of these tree plant initiatives after proposing infra that results in felling existent trees. The point is that small steps are not insignificant. Do just a little bit, whatever is in your power to combat pollution.