Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde Orders Concrete Action Plan As Corporators Question BMC’s Pollution Control Measures

Mumbai, October 23, 2026: Additional Municipal Commissioner Avinash Dhakane rejected reports placing Mumbai fourth among the world’s most polluted cities at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) general body meeting on Friday.

Citing sea-salt particles as one contributor to the haze, he admitted that vehicle emissions and construction dust remained major sources of pollution, with measures underway to tackle them.

However, his assurances failed to satisfy corporators, prompting Mayor Ritu Tawde to direct officials to consider their suggestions and take action.

The issue was raised by Opposition Leader Kishori Pednekar, who questioned the enforcement of the BMC’s 28-point pollution-control guidelines, asking whether they were merely a paper exercise.

With the Air Quality Index (AQI) reportedly touching 300 in some areas, she flagged construction dust and vehicular emissions and demanded strict action against violators. She also questioned why dust-control measures appeared more visible during VIP visits than in ordinary neighbourhoods.

Corporators Flag Construction Dust and Tree Felling

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena corporator Yashwant Killedar said nearly 100 construction projects were underway in Dadar-Mahim and alleged that dust around Shivaji Park was contributing to respiratory illnesses among children.

Shiv Sena (Shinde) group leader Amey Ghole proposed an odd-even vehicle scheme to curb pollution, while Congress corporator Ashraf Azmi flagged large-scale tree felling. Leader of the House Ganesh Khankar suggested washing Mumbai’s roads with recycled water to reduce dust pollution.

Tawde said around 3,500 construction projects were underway across Mumbai and alleged that air-quality boards displayed by private developers provided misleading information.

She directed the civic administration to prepare a concrete action plan to curb pollution and move developers’ ready-mix concrete (RMC) plants outside Mumbai.

The mayor also revealed that the BMC had received 8,000 letters, nearly 7,500 of which concerned unauthorised construction and dust pollution. Flagging complaints that ward-level officials were ignoring corporators’ concerns, she directed the administration to take the grievances seriously and ensure action.

Sea-Salt Particles Also Contribute to Pollution

Responding to the queries, Dhakane cited a 2018–19 Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) study to explain Mumbai’s pollution sources, stating that marine particles account for 18% of PM10 and 26% of PM2.5 pollution.

Road-dust resuspension contributes around 30%, while construction activity and vehicular emissions account for approximately 9% each, according to the figures he cited.

“Sea salt and secondary aerosols can contribute to haze and are not directly controllable. Strong winds can occasionally carry these particles as far as Pune,” he added.

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Dhakane said the AQI had crossed 200 on only one day during the corresponding post-monsoon period last year, and the civic administration was working to prevent a repeat this year.

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