Mumbai, Nov 24: In a major step towards controlling air pollution in Mumbai, the BMC has decided to halt all polluting units, including construction activities, if the city is consistently recording an air quality index (AQI) above 200.
The action is under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP IV). On Monday, the overall AQI of Mumbai was 176, and areas with the poorest AQI included Mazgaon (308), Navy Nagar-Colaba (271), Malad West (224), Deonar (275), Chakala-Andheri East (266) and Powai (205), among others.
Positive Intervention Before Construction Halt
BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani said, “All factors under GRAP IV do not apply to Mumbai. All construction activities will not be stopped immediately. First, there will be a positive intervention, which includes water misting, deep cleaning, actions against polluting bakeries, polluting units etc. For areas like Mazgaon Dock, which on Monday recorded AQI above 300, a decision needs to be taken to stop construction activities, similar to last year.”
Negative Intervention if AQI Remains Poor
“Stoppage of all construction activities falls under negative intervention, which is the next step if AQI does not come under control with positive intervention activities,” Gagrani added. The BMC has also alerted the police to carry out inspections, especially at night and prevent people from open burning.
Past GRAP IV Action in Mumbai
On December 30, 2024, under GRAP IV, the BMC had banned all construction activities, including public and private, in two areas- Borivali East and Byculla, which were consistently recording poor AQI. Hundreds of stop-work notices were also issued across Mumbai. The blanket ban on construction activities was lifted after a week, when the AQI in the two areas came under control.
Flying Squads Begin Crackdown
A senior officer from the BMC environment department said, “Flying squads are deployed in all wards. From Monday, air pollution mitigation measures under positive intervention have begun. From Tuesday, thorough inspections will be carried out in areas with the poorest AQI and notices will be served to polluting bakeries, industrial units under GRAP IV. Penalty will be imposed for open burning. In areas like Deonar, open burning is the major cause of air pollution. We are also issuing show-cause and stop work notices to construction sites, including RMC plants, which are not following 28-point guidelines for air pollution control.”
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Complete Ban If AQI Remains High
“For Mazgaon Dock, if the AQI remains above 300 for two more days, a complete ban on all construction activities will be imposed. While if the overall AQI of Mumbai goes above 200, stoppages of all construction activities in areas with the poorest AQI will be implemented,” the officer added.
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