MUMBAI: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued a warning that industrial units and construction activities in Mumbai may face shutdown if the Air Quality Index (AQI) in any area consistently exceeds 200 after mitigation measures are implemented.
According to a statement released on Thursday, actions will be enforced under the Graded Response Action Plan-4 (GRAP-4) if emissions continue to elevate AQI levels beyond accepted limits.
To ensure strict adherence to its 28-point guidelines aimed at reducing air pollution, the BMC has deployed flying squads in every ward. Each squad will include two engineers and a police officer, tasked with monitoring air quality sensors, preventing waste burning, and reducing the use of firewood for cooking.
Additional municipal commissioner Dr. Ashwini Joshi has instructed officials to take firm action against violations of these guidelines, urging deputy municipal commissioners and assistant commissioners to closely oversee compliance.
The BMC has initiated several measures to combat air pollution in India’s financial capital, including switching bakeries and crematoriums to cleaner fuels, increasing the use of electric buses within the public transport fleet, managing construction debris scientifically, and utilizing misting machines to spray water and suppress dust.
On October 15, 2024, the civic body released detailed guidelines for construction sites, which mandated barricading, green cloth coverings, water sprinkling, debris management, real-time air-monitoring systems, and smoke-absorbing mechanisms.
