India, Feb. 24 -- Mahfuz Shaikh, imam of a mosque in Uttan, a coastal town north of Mumbai in Thane district, shakes his head in despair. Devotees have been skipping prayers at the mosque, and attendance among children for daily Quran readings has dipped sharply. The air is just too toxic and it's making residents, especially children, very sick. "The odour is stomach-turning and devotees prefer to stay at home," says Shaikh.

The looming problem is the garbage dumping ground in Uttan, which has seeped into and ruined almost every aspect of life in this quiet town. In the last five years, between January 2020 and December 2024, there have been 26 fires here, which roughly translates into residents inhaling toxic smoke for an average five ...