Mumbai's Air Quality Improves as BMC Takes Action Against 482 Construction Sites Violating Pollution Guidelines

The civic body has issued 'stop-work' notices to 264 out of 482 construction projects for violations.

Mumbai:

Since November 26, Mumbai's air quality has shown significant improvement due to various pollution-control initiatives implemented across the city and surrounding suburbs. According to the BMC's Monday statement, show cause notices have been issued to 482 construction sites for violating pollution control guidelines.

Officials confirmed that 264 of these construction projects have already received 'stop-work' notices for their violations.

"Show-cause notices have been issued to 482 construction sites throughout Mumbai for allegedly violating air pollution control guidelines and contributing to deteriorating air quality," civic officials stated.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) clarified that the Graded Response Action Plan Stage-4 (GRAP-4), which imposes strict restrictions to combat air pollution, is not currently applicable in Mumbai, though enhanced monitoring measures are in place.

According to an official release, BMC administrator and Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani has instructed officials to maintain strict enforcement against both private construction sites and government/non-government projects that fail to comply with the civic body's 28-point dust and pollution-mitigation guidelines.

The BMC attributed the improved AQI (Air Quality Index) over the past 48 hours to better wind speed and various enforcement measures, including notices to non-compliant construction projects, misting operations, water sprinkling, road-washing initiatives, awareness campaigns, and the transition to cleaner fuels by bakeries and crematoria.

The civic body noted that wind speeds have increased from 3-4 kmph before November 28 (with high humidity) to 10-18 kmph currently, helping disperse pollutants throughout the financial capital.

The BMC has established 94 ward-level flying squads to oversee the implementation of pollution mitigation measures. These teams are inspecting both private construction sites and road/metro project areas, issuing immediate stop-work notices when violations are detected.

According to the release, these squads are also verifying the functionality of sensor-based AQI monitoring equipment at construction locations.

AQI is a numerical value used by environmental agencies to indicate air pollution levels in a specific area. The system comprises 6 categories: good (0-50), satisfactory (51-100), moderately polluted (101-200), poor (201-300), very poor (301-400), and severe (401-500).

Mumbai's GRAP-4 regulations primarily target construction sites, small industrial units, and related activities.