Centre gives Maharashtra one week to submit air clean-up report

Mumbai: As apprehensions escalate regarding Mumbai’s worsening air quality, the Central Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change has issued a directive, demanding an immediate “action taken report” from the Eknath Shinde government and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB). Within a week's time, the ministry has asked for a detailed account of measures taken to combat air pollution in the city.

According to the letter, “garbage burning is common in south Mumbai and office complexes in BKC, and road dust is a big source of poor air quality, especially on the roads touching the coastal road and large building construction sites,” TOI reported.

According to reports, the ministry has recommended specific actions to address these issues. One of the proposals is the daily cleaning of roads using recycled water to control dust. Furthermore, effective monitoring of construction sites is vital to prevent dust emissions, and the ministry has urged stringent enforcement of construction rules.

Mumbai's Battle Against Air Pollution

In Mumbai, concerns over air pollution have been heightened due to construction work resuming post the COVID-induced lockdown. This increase in construction activities has contributed to the rise in pollution levels. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been grappling with the challenge of regulating construction sites that do not comply with air pollution guidelines.

According to reports, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in Mumbai appears unclear about the actions taken since March against violators of air pollution guidelines. Shockingly, there is no available data regarding the number of construction sites in the city that have been issued stop-work notices for non-compliance. Various city departments were contacted, but none could provide the required information. The proposed punitive actions for non-compliance include issuing warning letters and stop-work notices, measures yet to be enforced due to the lack of clarity.