Mumbai, Dec. 1 -- As the city's air quality dipped this month, activists and citizens gathered on Sunday afternoon at the Carter road promenade in Bandra to demand clean air from the authorities as well as common people. Nearly 70 people formed a human chain along the road, raising slogans and holding placards to draw attention from passersby and the relevant authorities. Environmental activist Natasha Pereira who organised the event said, "We are trying to tell people that the air we are breathing is worsening. People must wake up and take whatever action they can in their own way." The Carter road promenade, usually filled with joggers and weekend visitors, echoed with slogans demanding cleaner air. Among the sea of posters were a few highlights that read: "Breathless is a song, not my reality" and "Trees are the simple solution for air pollution." This month, the primary pollutants in the city were Ozone and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), released from vehicular emissions. "We tried urging the people to avoid using their vehicles at least for short distance travels," said Lalita Deonalli, a social activist. Activists urged citizens to take action themselves, not just rely on authorities. "Every other building on the block is going under redevelopment, the citizens can ask their own developers to follow the guidelines put out by the civic body," said Aditi Kane, an environmental activist. She added that people can request developers to retain old trees or transplant them if needed. "The citizens should check the environmental clearances given to the developers and whether they are following it," added Kane. "Everyone is accountable for the air pollution, while the authorities are responsible for policy level decisions, the citizens are responsible too," said Nitin Kumar, a Chembur resident who cycled to Bandra. " I travel as much as possible on the bicycle. Instead of taking a bike to run errands, we can just take a cycle," Kumar added. The human chain symbolised how air pollution is interconnected. "It shows that people are coming together and are ready to take action. The authorities too should take prompt action," said Pereira. She added that the authorities must guide people and ensure the solutions to address the air pollution are practical. One of the major grievances highlighted by the people was the delayed response from the authorities. Furhan Shaikh, another activist, said, "The civic body only started taking action against the construction sites when the air quality started deteriorating, this should be done year round." He added that redevelopment and infrastructure projects should be approved in phases. This would prevent excessive dust and pollution during winter months. In November, the city's air quality dipped soon after the monsoon ended. The air quality index stayed in the moderate category for 24 of 30 days, and several pockets in the city such as Deonar, Malad and Mazgaon recorded consistently poor air. Due to worsening air quality, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) implemented a graded response action plan last week, an emergency measure to reduce air pollution in the city....