The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday banned open-air burning of trash or any other material across Mumbai in view of the rising air pollution in the city. The Mumbai civic body issued Guidelines for Air Pollution Mitigation, signed by municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, as the air quality index (AQI) worsened to ‘poor’ category on several days in India's financial capital.
“There shall be a complete ban on open burning anywhere in the geographical area under BMC, especially at garbage dumping grounds and possible sites of trash burning,” an official release said.To further control air pollution at construction sites, the guidelines mandate the installation of CCTV cameras around the periphery of all construction sites. The purpose is to monitor the condition of vehicles, specifically checking that they are clean and not overloaded, thus reducing the risk of dust generation during transportation.The guidelines also emphasize the need for appropriate covering of under-construction and under-demolition buildings. Such structures should be wrapped in green cloth, jute sheets, or tarpaulin from all sides to minimize dust emissions during construction and demolition activities.Moreover, during the demolition of structures, the guidelines require the continuous sprinkling or spraying of water to suppress dust. Similar measures, such as water fogging, must be implemented during the loading and unloading of construction materials to prevent dust generation.All vehicles involved in transporting construction materials should be fully covered and not overloaded to avoid any spillage on the road, contributing to a cleaner environment.To monitor air quality at various work sites, the BMC guidelines call for the deployment of sensor-based air pollution monitors. Immediate action is expected to be taken when pollution levels surpass prescribed limits, ensuring a swift response to deteriorating air quality.