Global warming effect, and is it affecting our climate?

The 7 islands of the past Mumbai is now one small narrowing island, 25 miles long by 2 to 7 miles long, as seen in the settlement photo, linked to the mainland in the north-west, separated by an estuary.  A  part  of  this  area  is  a water reservoir catchment  (Borivili  National Park) with  two  small  lakes (Vihar,  Powai) and  its  long  snaking  estuary,  the  Mithi river  which also carries the cities waste water and industrial effects through  5 main outfalls (Borivali, Goregaon-Malad, Versova, BKC and Love-Grove –  Worli) on the west and few on the east side (Mulund,  Vikhroli, Trombay,  Sewri-Wadala). In spite of this, there were “floods” and overkill rain is not the only reason.

Global warming

Keeping in mind one of the major environmentalists anxiety – lack of public awareness on Global warming; let us assess its impact. Also where wills the recent Bali Conference on climate change leads us. There were deep argues at Bali and 190 countries chalked out the Bali roadmap. But the thought battle was for developing countries like India and China. Today global warming is no longer just a panicky idea chiefly for India. The ripples of the climate conference in Bali spread to Mumbai. A day after the consultation ended thousands of Mumbaikars unplugged their electrical devices for one hour to save Keeping in mind one of the major environmentalists concern – lack of public awareness energy.

The IPCC report on climate change says India’s coastlines are the most helpless and so are its glaciers in the Himalayas where the meltdown has been alarming in recent years. Mumbai faces danger, as a large part of it is on broken land and the mangroves of the Sundarbans in West Begnal are losing chunks of landmass to the sea. Locals in Sundarban are planting Mango saplings, in an effort to ease the effects of climate change, to protect the islands against the hungry tide. India negotiated head on at Bali to be heard by developed nations. But more significant than reports and big numbers are people’s plan for conservation begins at home. So far work done related to global warming is mainly confined to research, conferences, seminars and workshops. But in India, the general population has very little knowledge about the burning subject of global warming. Efforts must be taken as early as possible to make awareness about it.

Government authorities and NGOs must take the plan in this matter.   India, whose economy has grown by 8-9 per cent a year in recent years, is one of the world’s top polluters, contributing around 4 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions as its consumption of relic fuels gathers pace. But as a developing nation, India is not required to cut emissions — said to be rising by between 2 and 3 per cent a year — under the Kyoto Protocol, although mounting pressure from environmental groups and industrialized nations. As far as steps being taken, the government is doing its bit at least in fractions but this needs a grass root level planning including every individual. The urban crowd sure knows what it means but the rural kind hasn’t even heard the term in large. Let me ask a few questions and at the end we’ll know whether we have done enough to prevent global warming

1. Have we stopped using our vehicles even to the near by grocery store? We instead even use it to reach the beach where we take a walk.

2. Have we tested our vehicles for emission check?

3. Do we switch off lights when it’s not in use? We instead switch it on even in broad day light. Some even fit in dozens of lights to make the place glow and create a good ambience.

4. Have we once thought of what happens to the garbage we throw out every day? All we know is the municipality workers remove it from our front doors each morning and keep our streets clean.

5. Have we stopped to burn those dry dead leaves in our garden?

6. Do we stop to think before using logs to burn fire to keep us warm?

7. We all have a good amt of cloth bags stacked at home yet for fashion sense don’t we all use plastic bags? From the flimsy ones we get in local stores to the large colorful ones in huge malls and brands?

8. Don’t we buy those plastic containers while we have our traditional vessels and containers made of mud or other usable metals?

9. Even while using plastic containers, do we look for bio degradable variety?

10. Do we stop to think before cutting down trees for logs or wood to use for various purposes?

11. Do we use natural waste for our plants or choose chemical pesticides?

12. Do we unplug appliances after its use?

13. Have we tried to at least think of solar energy in any way, leave alone switching to it?

14. Have we understood or at least try to understand the terms: Recyclable or Biodegradable?

15. Don’t we all waste water even in times when two states in India are fighting their right towards a river?

16. Finally, have any of us planted a tree?

The answer to most of this or even all of this is a Big NO. Then, now, you know where India and its citizens stand in preventing global warming .If each of us follow at least half of what is asked above at least once in a while, am sure we’ll be in a better earth.

Plant a tree once in your lifetime and enjoy the way u feels inside. Get used to ecological goods and recycling your waste. Those broken glass jars or crushed plastic containers can always be recycled. Use your raw kitchen waste for your plants. They would look healthier than with the chemicals.

Kindly use public transport once in a while or better walk to your near by places as and when possible. It’s good to walk besides saving earth!

There  are  several  distinct  reasons  for  the  many  contributing  causes  of  Mumbai’s floods, and we have to address each in turn:

Why did the Mithi River flood?

1. Because its mouth had been constricted  to  a  third  of  its original  width  by  unnecessary reclamation of land to construct rails, roads – mainly the Bandra?Worli sea?link and at  the  Love  Grove,  Worli  Outfall. The proliferation of slums along the coastline, mudflats and the Mithi River has also been a contributor. The reclamation of 400 acres of dense mangroves  at Goregaon?Malad Link road and 100 acres at Lokhandwala for commercial and residential complexes are few of the other reasons  which  add  to  the blatant violation of CRZ rules by  the  builder  lobby  in connivance with the bureaucracy and politicians.

2.  Large scale reclamation and destruction of mangroves for the  construction of  the once Kalina low lying area by the State Government for  Airport expansion and Runway extension being built at Mumbai Airport, right across Mithi River (left,  below), and the Bandra?Kurla Complex by MMRDA contributed too. The Satellite picture shows one runway actually bridging the river, and another with the river diverted around one end.

Also, the Mithi River does not have any “floodbanks” to speak of anymore, due to uncontrolled construction on sides, defying common sense & environmental precaution. The salt?pans of Bhandup and Mulund and the mangroves at Vikhroli and Ghatkopar have been damaged and reclaimed by MHADA and slum lords

What about Mumbaikar?

It  has  become  increasingly  plain  that  the  government  along  with  BMC,  the  Collectorate, and Pollution Control Board has aligned their interests with those of the construction industry and slum  lords, and regrettably against the interest of the people  of  Mumbai. The outrage against these agencies is gaining voice and the situation is akin to the emergency situation in some of our neighboring countries, only that there are many dictators. The utter neglect about the welfare of  its citizens  is  an  insult  to  injury  to  the Mumbaikars who contributes Rs.58,000  Cores to the national exchequer every year.