Mumbai marathon route unsafe for athletes due to air pollution: Awaaz Foundation

Awaaz Foundation finds unsafe PM 2.5 levels along Mumbai marathon route, urging regulatory authorities to take action.

The Mumbai marathon route is unsafe for athletes participating in it owing to a concentration of PM 2.5, according to Awaaz foundation a Non-Government Organisation (NGO) working int he field of environmental activism.

“In a citizens’ science initiative on Friday, January 17th, 48 hours prior to the scheduled Mumbai Marathon, Awaaz Foundation used a sensor-based monitor to record PM2.5 particulate matter at eight locations along the length of the Mumbai marathon route” said Sumaira Abdulali, founder of Awaaz in a letter to the Bruhanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB). “ 

“In light of the consistently poor air quality displayed by Government monitors in nearby areas for the past few months, our aim is to ascertain the health impact of air pollution on marathon participants, particularly those with pre-existing health concerns.,” she added.

The organisation which measured air pollution for the sake of the athletes found all eight areas in the marathon route had PM 2.5 concentration well above the World Health Organisation (WHO) safe level of 15 micrograms per cubic metre.

The lowest concentration of the air was found in Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan Road with a range of 95 to 105 micrograms per cubic metre. Mahim Retibunder recorded the largest concentration of PM 2.5, clocking 125 to 154 micrograms per cubic metre in the early hours of Friday (January 17, 2025), according to readings that Awaaz Foundation did the in the run-up to the Mumbai Marathon conducted by Tata and Procam Life International, that is to be held on January 19.

“Given the concerning air pollution levels in Mumbai for last few weeks and the fact that poor air quality poses a serious health risk, especially for endurance athletes and those involved in such sporting or leisure activities, we request that the BMC, MPCB and other regulatory authorities conduct official tests to ascertain the PM 2.5 air quality along the length of the Marathon route using their mobile monitoring vans. We request all regulatory authorities to officially issue appropriate health advisories to participants” said Ms. Abdulali in the letter.