The city is likely to be getting a spring cleaning of sorts at the earliest and for this, some residents may thank the impending G20 meetings looming on Mumbai’s hazy horizon.
On Sunday, Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal set up a seven-member committee, chaired by Additional Municipal Commissioner (western suburbs) Dr Sanjeev Kumar, to suggest measures to control the dust in the air, which has been pegged as the biggest contributor to air pollution.
The committee has been directed to submit its report on dust-control measures within a week, as the G20 events are scheduled for the end of this month.
Chahal held an urgent review meeting
Chahal held an urgent online review meeting with BMC officials, including all the additional, deputy, joint and assistant municipal commissioners on Sunday.
The need to control air pollution has been acutely felt prior to the G20 meeting, when foreign dignitaries will be in town.
He informed civic officials about a meeting of the trade and finance group of the G20 Council, to be held from March 28-30, 2023, in Mumbai. Most meeting venues and hotels where the delegates will be accommodated are the same as in December 2022. In view of the earlier experience, road maintenance and other necessary works should be completed in time on all the respective routes, Chahal has stipulated.
Further, care should be taken to ensure availability of medical facilities and emergency medical services for the visitors, Chahal said. All these works would be inspected and a mock drill held on March 25, 2023, he added.
The air quality in Mumbai region has been abominable for the most part because of the dust kicked up by the various development and construction projects at full-throttle. Toss in the change in wind speed and the perfect dust storm has taken over.
Measures recommended by panel to be implemented from April 1
From April 1, 2023, the measures recommended by the committee will be strictly initiated in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation area. Stringent action, including the issuing of stop work notices, will be taken against the contractors and builders who are found in violation of the rules.
At the online meeting, Chahal said, “Air pollution situation has arisen like never before in the Mumbai metropolitan city. In the post-Covid period, the dust generated by large-scale construction, as well as various development works and changes in the wind speed have been found to be the two main factors. Although the natural conditions are out of human control, at present, there are more than 5,000 sites in Mumbai where various works are going on. It is in the hands of the administration to minimise the dust generated from these locations.”
Members of the panel
Apart from AMC Dr Sanjeev Kumar, the deputy municipal commissioners for environment, infrastructure and solid waste management, the chief engineer for development planning, executive engineer Satish Gite, who will represent the office of the municipal commissioner, and a member nominated by Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, are other members of the committee.
Mumbai Beautification Project's first phase is nearing completion
Meanwhile, the 500 works taken on in the first phase of the ongoing ‘Mumbai Beautification Project’, in December 2022, are now nearing completion, while 320 works in the second phase have begun.
Chahal has directed that all these works be reviewed by the joint, deputy and assistant municipal commissioners of the respective zones, wards and departments and a schedule for the completion of the work be laid out, to speed up and complete works like the beautification of electric poles and footpaths, immediately.
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