Construction sites in Mumbai to be shut down if AQI stays above 200: BMC

Mumbai, Nov 20 (PTI) The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday warned that industrial units and construction activities in Mumbai could be shut down if the Air Quality Index (AQI) in any locality remains consistently above 200 even after mitigation measures.

In a release issued on Thursday, the civic body said the action will be carried out under the Graded Response Action Plan-4 (GRAP-4) if emissions continued to push AQI levels beyond permissible limits.

To ensure strict implementation of its 28-point guidelines issued earlier to curb air pollution, the civic body has appointed flying squads for every ward, it said.

Each flying squad will consist of two engineers and a police personnel. It will also check the functioning of sensor-based air monitoring systems, prevent waste burning and curb the use of firewood as fuel.

Additional municipal commissioner Dr Ashwini Joshi has directed officials to take stringent action against those flouting the guidelines and instructed deputy municipal commissioners and assistant commissioners to monitor compliance closely, the release said.

Some of the measures implemented by the BMC to tackle air pollution in the financial capital of the country are switching crematoriums and bakeries to cleaner fuels, expanding electric bus usage in the public transport fleet, scientific handling of construction debris, and water spraying through misting machines to contain dust.

The civic body had issued comprehensive guidelines for construction sites on October 15, 2024, mandating barricading, green cloth covering, water sprinkling, debris management, real-time air-monitoring systems and smoke-absorbing equipment. PTI KK KRK