Mumbai Air Pollution: BMC To Crack Down On Construction Dust, Probe Suspicious AQI Readings; Green Diwali Campaign Planned

Mumbai's civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), is set to crack down on construction dust and suspicious air quality readings coming from monitoring systems across the city. The warning comes as part of a broader effort to enforce pollution-control norms and keep Mumbai's air quality within acceptable limits.

Inspectors will intensify checks at construction sites, verifying the operation of Air Quality Index (AQI) monitoring systems and imposing penalties on errant developers. If air quality monitoring systems register identical readings for three consecutive days, indicating potential malfunction or inaccurate data, corrective action will be taken, including show-cause notices, stop-work orders, and penalties.

BMC officials are also focused on ensuring that monitoring stations, sensors, and related equipment remain operational and provide accurate readings. The suspicions surrounding AQI readings have raised concerns about the reliability of the data collected by the monitoring systems.

In an effort to improve air quality, the BMC has directed departments to coordinate their efforts and deploy advanced equipment for road cleaning. Special cleanliness drives are also planned to control dust at construction sites and along adjoining roads, aiming to ensure compliance with prescribed pollution-control measures.

As Mumbai braces for the upcoming Diwali festival, the BMC is considering celebrities like cricketer Ajinkya Rahane, actor Swapnil Joshi, and actress Dia Mirza as brand ambassadors for a Green Diwali campaign. This initiative seeks to promote environmental awareness and the use of green firecrackers, discouraging excessive firecracker use and highlighting the dangers of air and noise pollution. Discussions are ongoing, with formal appointments yet to be announced.