Mumbai, November 4, 2026: The BMC’s proposal to appoint an independent agency to audit air-quality monitors at construction sites triggered a debate at Wednesday’s Standing Committee meeting, with corporators questioning the need for external oversight when the civic body already has dedicated squads to enforce the 28-point dust mitigation guidelines. Members questioned whether the move reflected a lack of confidence in the BMC’s own monitoring machinery.
Congress group leader Ashraf Azmi termed the tender “half-baked”, pointing to a nearly 22-month delay between the Bombay High Court’s January 9, 2025, order on installing AQI monitors at construction sites and the BMC floating the third-party audit tender on July 17, 2026. He also questioned what concrete action would be taken against construction sites violating dust mitigation norms.
Corporators Question BMC Monitoring System
BJP corporator Priti Satam questioned the effectiveness of the special squads, alleging that even show-cause notices were not being issued to construction sites violating the guidelines. Shiv Sena (Shinde) group leader Amey Ghole, meanwhile, questioned why the BMC needed an external agency if it had confidence in its own officials.
BMC Defends Need For Third-Party Audit
Responding to the concerns, Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijeet Bangar said the number of air-quality sensors installed at construction sites had increased over the past one-and-a-half years. Mumbai has more than 3,000 construction sites, monitored by 68 flying squads deployed across all wards, he said. The squads act on complaints and inputs, while work-stoppage orders can be issued wherever violations are detected.
However, corporators called for stricter enforcement, stressing that deploying inspection teams alone would not curb pollution unless violations attracted swift and concrete action.
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Despite the objections, the Standing Committee approved the BMC’s proposal to appoint M/s Mahabal Enviro Engineers Pvt Ltd for a three-year third-party audit of air-quality monitors at a cost of Rs 11.28 crore.
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