To switch from wood or wood scrap to alternate fuels to fire their ovens would increase production costs and impact the business of countless small bakeries in the city
Mansi Bhaktwani
Prashant Nakwe
Warm, freshly baked pavs straight from a traditional wood-fired oven at a Mumbai bakery.
MUMBAI, Maharashtra: The aroma of freshly baked bread and pav fills the narrow, potholed lanes of Trombay, an eastern suburb of Mumbai, flanked by shops, eateries, and bakeries on either side.
At the New National bakery, workers move trays around and arrange the goods at the shop counter, even as buyers start streaming in to buy bread soon after the shop opens for business.
Sarfaraz Hamid Usmani, who took over the reins of this family-run bakery over two decades ago, credits his bakery’s popularity to the rich flavour of the bread he bakes using wood or wood scrap, which ensures the heat spreads evenly through the soft dough.
But the process Usmani swears by has climate campaigners worried as they seek bakeries to make the green switch to tackle Mumbai’s rising pollution levels.
“It is difficult to get such flavours through modern methods such as gas and electricity. And then it’s dangerous, there can be a blast, and also expensive. Besides, it is not cost-effective as gas cylinder prices keep fluctuating,” said Usmani, sitting on a wooden bench outside his bakery.
"Even if the government helps (with financial aid for the transition), it will only be for a short while. We would require two cylinders a day, which will make goods costlier for everybody. The public is unaware; they will consume anything, but we understand the difference it makes," he told The Migration Story.
Workers place dough in baking trays before putting them in traditional wood-fired ovens
Emissions from bakeries cause a total of 5% contribution to pollution, according to the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI). The Bombay Environment Action Group (BEAG) published a survey titled ‘Envisioning a Sustainable Bakery Industry for Mumbai’ that showed that about half of the 216 bakeries surveyed were burning wood and scrap wood.
Bakeries contribute around 3,271 kg of PM (3.5%), 23,887 kg of carbon monoxide (CO), and other harmful emissions daily, according to the BEAG research report. Most of this pollution comes from the use of wood-fired ovens, which emit unburned gases like methane and carbon dioxide, the research notes.
“If the burning of scrap wood is stopped, it will overall reduce 3-5% of total pollution, which is not big but will eliminate a source,” said Dr. Tuhin Banerji, environmental scientist and Project Head at BEAG.
“Some of the local bakeries are apprehensive, and some of them are open to a solution as their workers are also getting affected if it is not going to be a financial burden for them. And one of the important things they mentioned is training. They are used to working in a certain way, which changes as the fuel changes,” said Dr. Banerji.
POOR AIR
Smoke coming out of the chimney of a bakery in Trombay. This, campaigners believe, contributes to Mumbai's air pollution.
Mumbai's air quality has significantly declined over the past five years, with pollution levels doubling. The city's annual average PM 2.5 (particulate matter) increased by 54.2% from 2019 to 2020, saw a slight decrease in 2021 and 2022, but rose by 42.1% in 2023, according to climate-tech start-up Respirer Living Sciences report. The Air Quality Index (AQI) has fluctuated between moderate and poor levels (150-200), contributing to approximately 29,000 deaths in 2023 and an estimated economic loss of $2.9 billion due to lost productivity, according to calculations by IQAir in partnership with Greenpeace Southeast Asia.
But the Maximum City is also home to a sea of migrants who mostly work informally. Bakeries, like several other businesses in the city, are a migrant-heavy sector.
Baker Usmani himself hails from Bishnor, Uttar Pradesh, and used to be a salesperson before opening his bakery along with his three brothers. He took up baking, observing the popularity of bakery products in Mumbai—the fast-paced city that has migrants, students and office-goers devour thousands of vada pavs every day, Mumbai’s favourite grab-and-go snack.
Bakery owner Sarfaraz Hamid Usmani outside his outlet in Mumbai.
Around 2016, when Usmani had found a rhythm in his business and buyers, the BEAG had initiated discussions on rising pollution with civic authorities.
But there was minimal interest then, recalled Tuhin Banerji, Project Head with BEAG.
However, as the air quality further deteriorated, affecting livelihoods, the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in 2019 was initiated by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). They aimed to target 131 cities, including Mumbai and across India, with poor air quality and find solutions to improve it.
“The central government pushed to make cities more livable by allocating funds to local bodies, which were used to purchase electric buses. However, a more clearer plan was necessary, which is where the role of BEAG came into play, bringing in the earlier discussions,” Banerji said.
Ingredients stacked at a bakery (left) and preparations on to make a fresh batch of bread.
BEAG explained to MPCB that bringing in electric buses would tackle only a fraction of air pollution. However, the usage of scrap wood in the bakeries causes a rise in PM (2.5) & PM (10) in Mumbai.
This pollutant needs critical attention, according to climate campaigners. Particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometres or smaller in diameter—called PM 2.5—can impact the lungs and the overall health of people, experts note.
Recommendations from the Bombay Environment Action Group (BEAG) include mapping the impact of rising pollution levels on public health, and promoting the involvement of people through incentives. Addressing pollution from bakeries and other sources is crucial for the city’s health and sustainability, BEAG campaigners said.
But then the polluting sector is a job creator as well.
Bakery workers eat their dinner after their shift.
Mohammad Adil Ansari, 28, hails from the same village as Usmani in Uttar Pradesh and migrated to Mumbai to work in his bakery. He oversees the bakery’s daily operations, keeping things organized and ensuring the quality of every item.
He fears the transition to clean cooking methods, but not if he has new skills to continue in the same or new jobs, he said.
A bakery worker scrolls through his phone after a long day at work.
“If the government brings changes by providing us with necessary skills and incentives, then I am willing to change, and there are many like me who would like to excel. Otherwise, it will be difficult for us, and we will lose our jobs. If the government provides us with employment opportunities, then we won’t be stressed,” he said.
MONEY, SAFETY
Authorities are considering easy loans, skilling, and also incentives to help bakeries make the switch, according to BEAG officials. Also, Banerji said, their study showed the expenditure made in shifting to LPG could be recovered in a year, and bakeries needn’t fear loss of business.
But owners said they had both financial and safety concerns switching to expensive gas cylinders in congested areas of Mumbai where their bakeries are located. Additionally, the limited space in many bakeries complicates the accommodation and maintenance of ovens.
Warm pavs, freshly baked at a Mumbai bakery
At Usmani’s bakery, vendors buying pav on this October morning said other fuels to fire ovens would increase production costs, which would increase the cost of the bread and will have a cascading impact on the business of countless small bakeries in the city.
“It’s important to address all sources of pollution, not just the bakeries,” said a baker in Trombay who did not wish to be identified.
(Prashant Nakwe is a visual storyteller, focused on documenting developmental issues.
Mansi Bhaktwani is a Mumbai-based journalist.)
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