A huge 80 per cent of Mumbaikars feel that global warming is for real, according to a survey conducted by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).
The survey covering Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Kanpur, Indore, Guwahati, Coimbatore and Jamshedpur, focused on the environment, particularly waste and water-related issues.
The sample from Mumbai constitutes about 13% of the total survey sample from the eight cities. Many respondents feel that quality of air and water has deteriorated, along with waste management services in their cities.
However, the survey shows that 59 per cent people perceive that quality of drinking water has improved. A large majority has supported the complete ban of polythene bags in the city.
As per the findings for the city close to 90% of these respondents reported an increase in mean temperature while over 50% reported a decrease in rainfall over the years. More than 63% of the respondents felt that water was being wasted. Of these, about 25% each felt that water was wasted during distribution and due to over-consumption.
Close to 50% of the respondents felt that the best strategy to manage the problem of solid waste was to segregate waste before it is disposed. More than 63% of the respondents were willing to segregate their waste. Forty-three per cent of the respondents felt that cost should vary with the amount of waste generated. A large majority was in favour of a complete ban on the use of polythene bags in the city.
"This time, we have focused on cities which normally don't get the kind of attention
they deserve. If we want to bring about improvement in environmental quality, then the foundation on which any such effort would rest, would be on the awareness of the public," said TERI director general RK Pachauri. Almost 43 per cent are unaware of the existing policies regarding climate change while 33 per cent are unaware of the policies for water conservation, according to the survey.
"Urban respondents feel the government and consumers play a positive role for improving the environment. The survey will be of immense value to policy-makers in identifying areas where sound environment management policy can play a significant role, and where greater efforts of outreach and awareness building are necessary," TERI's fellow Prodipto Ghosh said.
Environment Activist, V Stalin from NGO Vanshakti while commenting on the survey said "It shows that people are now more aware of the harmful effects of global warming but most is on paper only and a lot remain to be done on the ground. Air and water pollution are major concerns for the city. Most of our rivers are polluted this can lead to huge problems in the future if not dealt with urgently."
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