MUMBAI Death for Hire

Diesel taxis are raising hell. Their drivers are lodged in a pitched battle with the civil society

If you live in the business capital of India, it is not difficult to see the byproducts of the industrial boom. A constantly rising number of vehicles has sent the air pollution index soaring. About 300 vehicles are registered every day in the city, points out Vinay Mohan Lal, transport commissioner of Maharashtra. With one million motor vehicles on the roads of Mumbai and a vehicle density of 500 vehicles per square km, the city is clearly in for trouble. Confirming to the most pronounced pattern across the country, Mumbai is in the grip of serious problem with suspended particulate matter (SPM).

The average SPM concentration in Mumbai's air has increased considerably from about 200 microgramme per cubic metre (