Mumbai pollution: Aaditya calls for pause in construction activities

Mumbai, Feb 24 (PTI) Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray on Tuesday demanded that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) halt all private construction activities in the city for at least a week amid rising air pollution levels and visible haze.

Speaking to reporters on the premises of Vidhan Bhavan, Thackeray said that he has consistently raised environmental concerns and flagged deteriorating air quality in Mumbai.

"The BMC should temporarily halt all private construction activities for at least a week to control dust emissions. A proper construction management schedule should be prepared. It should implement anti-pollution mechanisms strictly. Only then should construction work be allowed to resume," he said.

The civic body was still not waking up to the gravity of the situation, the Sena UBT leader claimed.

Emphasising strict enforcement of existing norms, Thackeray said the authorities appeared indifferent to the health of citizens.

In a post on X, Thackeray took a dig at the civic administration, saying, "If Mumbaikars breathing polluted air does not bother you, just imagine that a VIP is coming to the city for a week." The Opposition legislator also said he had written to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis seeking a probe into alleged cruelty at an animal shelter in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

"An incident of cruel treatment of stray dogs has been reported. I request you to probe into the matter and arrest the culprits. The organisation receives funds from foreign countries, so its licence should be cancelled," he said in a separate post. PTI ND ARU