N※N

Rohit Sharma's Wife Urges Action as Mumbai's Air Quality Reaches Hazardous Levels

  //health-fitness.news-articles.net/content/2025/ .. mbai-s-air-quality-reaches-hazardous-levels.html
  Published in Health and Fitness on Wednesday, November 26th 2025 at 2:48 GMT by TheHealthSite

• 🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication
• 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source

2025-11-26 179 x 224 / 14111 Bytes

2025-11-26 179 x 224 / 9572 Bytes

2025-11-26 179 x 224 / 8724 Bytes

2025-11-26 179 x 224 / 5823 Bytes

Rohit Sharma’s Wife Urges Action as Mumbai’s Air Quality Reaches Hazardous Levels

A rising health crisis in one of India’s biggest metros has captured headlines when Ritika Sajdeh, the former Miss India winner and wife of celebrated cricketer Rohit Sharma, used her social‑media platform to sound the alarm on the city’s deteriorating air quality. In a recent post on her Instagram account, Sajdeh highlighted that Mumbai’s Air Quality Index (AQI) has repeatedly breached the “hazardous” threshold, citing the latest data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Her call to action has spurred a broader discussion on how the city’s residents and authorities can protect public health in the face of increasingly toxic air.

The Numbers Behind the Alarm

According to CPCB’s daily reports, Mumbai’s AQI has surged to alarming levels over the past few weeks. On Thursday, the official reading climbed to 440 – the highest value on the CPCB scale, placing the city in the “hazardous” category. To put this into perspective, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines AQI values above 300 as hazardous and warns that exposure can cause severe respiratory and cardiovascular problems for everyone, especially children, the elderly, and people with pre‑existing health conditions.

Sajdeh’s post included a screenshot of the CPCB dashboard, which displays the city’s average particulate matter (PM₂.₅) concentration at 175 µg/m³, far exceeding the WHO’s recommended limit of 10 µg/m³. The report also highlighted that 24‑hour PM₂.₅ levels have remained above 70 µg/m³ for the past 14 consecutive days – the first time the city has recorded such a prolonged period of hazardous air.

Sources of the Pollution

The article on TheHealthSite traces the primary contributors to Mumbai’s poor air quality. Key culprits include:

1. Vehicular Emissions – With an estimated 1.2 million registered vehicles, traffic congestion is a persistent source of nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) and fine particulates.
2. Construction Dust – Rapid urban development has led to unchecked construction sites, releasing large volumes of PM₂.₅ into the air.
3. Industrial Discharges – Factories in the surrounding industrial belt emit sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and heavy metals, compounding the city’s particulate load.
4. Biomass Burning – Seasonal crop residue burning in nearby rural areas contributes to increased levels of smog and ground‑level ozone.

Sajdeh emphasized that these sources are largely preventable, noting that the city’s current air quality crisis is “a result of negligence and lack of enforcement of existing environmental regulations.”

Health Implications and Expert Opinions

The article brings in findings from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and other academic studies that link chronic exposure to high PM₂.₅ levels with an elevated risk of heart disease, stroke, and premature death. Dr. Anil Kumar, an environmental health specialist at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), is quoted saying:

“When the AQI stays above 300 for even a few days, the respiratory system is essentially under siege. The vulnerable populations – children, the elderly, and those with asthma – are at the greatest risk.”

The piece also refers to a 2023 WHO report that identified air pollution as the largest single environmental risk factor worldwide, responsible for 7.6 million deaths each year. India alone accounts for roughly 1.5 million of those fatalities, a figure that has been steadily climbing.

Calls for Immediate Action

Sajdeh’s post is not merely a warning; it is a demand for tangible policy changes. She urges:

1. Immediate Enforcement of Emission Standards – Re‑enforcing Bharat’s Bharat Clean Air Act 2019, with stricter penalties for non‑compliant vehicles and factories.
2. Increased Public Transport Capacity – Expanding and modernising Mumbai’s public transport to reduce private vehicle usage.
3. Creation of Green Corridors – Planting more trees and creating low‑emission zones around schools and hospitals.
4. Public Awareness Campaigns – Educating citizens about the importance of wearing N95 masks on high‑pollution days and using air purifiers.

Her message is echoed by local environmental groups such as the Mumbai Climate Action Group, which has been lobbying the municipal corporation for a comprehensive Clean Air Action Plan that incorporates both short‑term mitigation (e.g., temporary traffic restrictions) and long‑term solutions (e.g., renewable energy incentives).

Government Response

The article notes that the Maharashtra State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) has issued a brief statement acknowledging the spike in AQI. The statement cites the board’s plan to conduct a “thorough review of current emission controls” and mentions a forthcoming pilot program to test low‑emission zones in the city’s busiest districts. However, critics argue that the response is too vague and lacks a concrete timeline.

In the interim, the Mumbai Municipal Corporation has reportedly increased the frequency of public transport services during peak hours to alleviate congestion. The corporation has also announced the installation of electrified buses in the upcoming fiscal year, but the timeline for this project remains uncertain.

A Broader Trend

Ritika Sajdeh’s call to action comes at a time when many Indian cities are grappling with similar air‑quality crises. The CPCB’s national report for 2023 shows that seven out of India’s top 10 most polluted cities – including Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata – recorded average AQI values above 250. According to the CPCB’s 2024 projections, if current trends continue, Mumbai could see hazardous AQI levels for 15 days per month in the next decade, according to the “Climate Change and Air Quality Scenario” model.

Looking Ahead

The TheHealthSite article concludes that the problem is not limited to a few days of smog but is indicative of a larger, systemic failure to manage industrial growth, traffic regulation, and urban planning. It stresses that without immediate and sustained action from both the government and private sector, Mumbai’s residents will face escalating health risks and economic costs.

For residents, the article offers practical tips: avoid outdoor activities during high‑pollution alerts, use N95 masks when necessary, invest in indoor air purifiers, and stay hydrated. For policymakers, it serves as a reminder that protecting public health is both a moral imperative and an economic necessity – clean air can reduce healthcare costs and improve workforce productivity.

In sum, Ritika Sajdeh’s urgent message serves as a wake‑up call for Mumbai: the air we breathe is under siege, and the window for decisive action is rapidly closing. The story highlights a pressing public health crisis and underscores the need for coordinated, multi‑sectoral solutions that prioritize clean air for all citizens.