MUMBAI, Dec. 3 -- Residents of Chembur, one of Mumbai's most-polluted neighbourhoods, are holding their breath as they wait to see whether civic and government authorities will back their proposal for a new green lung. Chembur and neighbouring Deonar have consistently recorded "poor" to "very poor" AQI levels this year. Both these eastern suburbs house factories, various industries including the RCF refinery complex, and the Deonar garbage dumping yard. Now residents believe they have found a viable solution: converting a 45-acre, defunct BSNL telecom factory site in Deonar into an urban forest. "The central suburbs of Mumbai are in dire need of such green spaces. Converting this defunct land into a tree-filled park would act as a vital tool in combating urban pollution," reads a public petition that drew 4,600 signatures in just six days. The petition, which they have submitted to the chief minister, notes that the 45-acre plot in focus is situated in a critically polluted belt. It argues that the concentration of industrial activity makes the creation of a large green buffer essential for public health. The petition was initiated by Chembur resident Dr Viswanath Pilla, who said the telecom factory shut a long time ago. "It's been largely abandoned for the last six years. There's just one building on the property and residents use the land to take a morning walk." What prompted him to launch the petition? "One day, after a walk, I felt breathless due to the pollution. That's when I decided we had to act. We have reached out to the chief minister," said Pilla, adding that the neighbourhood is in dire need of a green space. Their petition reads, "The local government has the opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to environmental health and community welfare by supporting the repurposing of the BSNL site into a green lung." Pilla said, "Pollutants and particulate matter are constantly being released into the air. Nobody follows the rules, not the refineries, not construction sites, not the RMC plants." Rajkumar Sharma, another Chembur resident, said, "Chembur is getting worse. You cannot stop the work at the dumping ground or the metro. The alternative is to create a natural habitat, where we can breathe." Another resident mentioned that a plot reserved for a green space in the Development Plan is now being developed. "There were trees on the land as recently as October, but most of them have been axed. With those trees gone, air quality suffers," he pointed out. Locals added that despite weeks of high AQI, they have not seen road sweepers or dust-suppression machines at work, or monitors at construction sites. Garbage burning at Deonar continues, further worsening air quality, they said. A senior civic official said the BSNL telecom factory plot does not fall under the jurisdiction of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). "This land falls under the central government. If citizens approach us with a representation, we will forward it to the department concerned. Citizens can pursue the matter through the state government," the official said. "All complaints relating to pollution or environmental issues raised by citizens are being looked into."...