Two days before thousands of runners participate in the Tata Mumbai Marathon, a survey conducted by an environmental group has found pollution levels along the route very high and breaching safety limits.
In a `citizens' science initiative', volunteers of the city-based Awaaz Foundation checked pollution levels at eight spots on Friday morning. None of the locations had particulate matter levels within limits considered as `safe' by the authorities, the Foundation claimed.
The routes of both the full (42.19 km) and half (21.09 km) marathons cover the stretch between the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in south Mumbai and Bandra in the western suburbs. Air pollution in the megapolis where massive infrastructure projects are underway has been a cause for concern, and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had in December ordered that construction activities be stopped in some areas where the Air Quality Index (AQI) had crossed 200.
In a letter to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and BMC, Awaaz Foundation's convenor Sumaira Abdulali said on Friday morning the highest pollution level of 154 micrograms per cubic meter was found at Mahim Reti Bunder, not far from the starting point of the half marathon in which 15,000 runners will be participating.
The lowest level of 95 micrograms per cubic meter was found at Khan Abdul Gafar Khan Road in central Mumbai, the letter said, adding that as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) norms, the safe limit for PM 2.5 is 60 micrograms for 24 hours.
PM 2.5 (particulate matter 2.5) denotes tiny particles that are 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter. PM 2.5 level is a key indicator of air quality. As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), the safe limit for PM2.5 concentration is much lower, 15 micrograms per cubic meter.