Lawyer serves legal notice to BMC over poor air quality in Mumbai

A lawyer from Mumbai has issued legal notice to the (BMC) and the (MPCB), urging them to fulfil their promise of installing citywide air purifiers, as outlined in the civic body's budget document. Saif Alam, the lawyer, emphasised that the legal notice serves as a compelling plea to prompt the civic body into action, as air quality across the city is plummeting.

Speaking to mid-day, Alam said, "This is just October. As we move into proper winter months, the air quality will start deteriorating even further. What is alarming is that in the past few days we have even surpassed AQI of Delhi. It's time BMC acts and does something to control the problem right now, before it gets out of control. "The air quality since the start of the month has been dangerous. The current PM2.5 concentration in Mumbai is 5.2 times above the recommended limit given by the WHO. The PM2.5 air pollution in Mumbai has caused an estimated 14,000 deaths since January 1, 2021. It has cost the city's economy around US $2.1 billion so far this year. For the past one week, the AQI in Mumbai is over 200 in many parts of the city. I am a patient of Pertussis (whooping cough) and understand this grave situation and what it must be doing to those who suffer from respiratory diseases. It is also dangerous for children. BMC promised during the budget to install air purifiers in the city after CM Eknath Shinde intervened on the issue of air pollution in the city. But, nothing has been done yet," added Alam.

Meanwhile, Brihanmumbai Corporation (BMC) on Friday issued pollution control guidelines as the air quality in the city worsened and entered the ‘poor’ category. Suggesting pollution control measures, BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal asked the people of the city to stop construction as they are going on at a whopping 6,000 sites currently - a big contributor to air pollution in Mumbai.According to a Times of India report, these measures from the BMC follow a call from the Prime Minister’s Office to that of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, asking him to take measures to prevent pollution in Mumbai.Several parts of Mumbai recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) above 200 which is categorised as ‘poor’ on Saturday morning. As the nation’s financial capital beat the national capital in poor AQI, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued guidelines for controlling air pollution, while warning construction sites to adhere to those guidelines.