Mumbai, August 24, 2024: A recent report by the Bombay Environment Action Group has brought out in the open the unabashed use of wood as fuel in a majority of Mumbai’s bakeries. It has also brought to light the major health risks associated with such practice that prevails in almost half of the bakeries across the city.
According to a recent six-month survey conducted across 200 Mumbai bakeries, about 47% of them use wood fuel. The wood fuel is mainly in the form of scrap wood supplied by furniture shops. This points to the fact that these wood fuels contribute dangerous VOCs and PM2.5 in the air, associated with respiratory problems and other serious health conditions.
Health Hazards from PM2.5 Emissions
PM2.5 is one of the most dangerous ones; particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or less can itself go straight into the lungs, directly to the bloodstream, and cause a myriad of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases such as asthma and COPD.
Using these data, BEAG estimated that 72 of the surveyed bakeries collectively emit 80,381 kg of PM2.5, underlining the extent of the problem in Mumbai. Byculla and Mumbai Central, it noted, are the areas having the highest concentration of wood-fuel-based bakeries, with 84 establishments identified in these two localities. This was followed by Andheri with 53 bakeries, still running on wood, and Mohammed Ali Road with 39 units.
Electricity and LPG as Alternatives
Though wood is the universal fuel in use for most bakeries, the survey across the city revealed that electricity is the second most-used fuel in 28 percent of the total establishments. Besides, nearly 21 percent of bakeries rely on a mix of liquefied petroleum gas and electricity.
According to this report, it is possible for adoption of cleaner energy sources to significantly contribute to reducing the health risks and environmental impact arising from the use of wood fuel. BEAG has called for a gradual change of use to cleaner energy sources, noting that financial incentives and cost-benefit analyses are needed to influence bakery owners to switch to more sustainable practices.
BEAG’s call to action
BEAG has submitted the report to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and asked them to take stringent action without any delay. On its part, the environmental NGO has pressed for joint effort among government departments, bakery owners, and other stakeholders toward successfully executing transition to cleaner sources of energy.
The report by BEAG emphasizes the need for addressing pollution through wood-burning bakeries in an urgent manner in order to secure Mumbai residents’ health and city environments. Recommendations go from bailing bakery owners out to using cleaner energy sources, tighter regulations on wood fuels, and public knowledge on air pollution risks.
Conclusion
According to the BEAG report, the extensive use of wood fuel in most of the bakeries in Mumbai exposes the city’s population to danger. Almost half of the bakeries surveyed rely on wood fuel. It is therefore a serious health hazard to the public due to tremendous emissions of volatile organic compounds and PM2.5 particles. BEAG has hence demanded that immediate measures be taken to reduce these risks by calling for a gradual transition to cleaner fuel sources and urging the concerned authorities to work with bakery owners on some sustainable practices.
These findings have already been submitted to the BMC and MPCB, hoping that quick action will be taken to save Mumbaikars’ health and air quality in the city.
Source: Bombay Environment Action Group (BEAG)