Mumbai: 1st dust control committee meeting held at BMC headquarters

Mumbai: First meeting of the 7-member special committee appointed to suggest measures on dust controls was held in BMC headquarters on Tuesday evening. Few air-purifying unit manufacturing companies presented their technology during the meeting. A live workshop for demonstration of the air-purifying machines will be arranged on March 17.

"To control the air pollution it is necessary to set up a system of air-purifiers. So representatives of reputed companies presented their products. We will conduct more meetings with other stakeholders and experts and based on that decision a final SOP will be prepared by end of March," said a senior civic official. The committee will conduct the second meeting on Thursday (March 16).  

The meeting was chaired by additional commissioner (western suburbs) Dr Sanjeev Kumar. Also, deputy commissioner (Environment) Atul Patil, deputy commissioner (Infrastructure) Ulhas Mahale, deputy commissioner (Solid Waste Management) Chanda Jadhav, chief engineer (roads) Manish Patel, chief engineer (Development Planning) Sunil Rathod, executive engineer Satish Gite, a representative from the BMC chief's office were present in the meeting. 

While members of technical advisory committee such as Maharashtra Pollution Control Board representative Kartik Langote along with representatives of National Environment Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Indian Meteorological department (IMD), Indian Institute of Technology (Bombay), Central Pollution Control board and Pulmonary medicine expert from KEM hospital Dr. Amita Athwale attended the meeting. Based on the report of this panel, an SOP will be implemented from April 1, in the city.