The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued a notice to all the eateries and restaurants across the city to replace tandoors with coal tandoors with electric stoves or other gas powered appliances. If they fail to do so by July 2025, heavy fines will be imposed, license will be cancelled, and potential legal action will be taken against the business.
The order, which was given on January 9, 2025, by the Bombay High Court, requires all business entities that use coal, wood, or other conventional fuels to convert to cleaner energy sources like electricity, LPG, PNG, or CNG. Beginning on February 10, 84 outdoor dining establishments, including dhabas, hotels, and restaurants that use charcoal tandoors, were the target of notifications from BMC's G South ward medical officer of health (MOH).
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After the High Court’s ruling, the civic body issued two notifications from the environment and health department on January 14 and February 6 respectively. The notice stated that by July 8, 2025, all establishments must switch to green fuels. Until the changeover is confirmed, trade licenses will be listed in the municipal SAP system as "Not To Renew." After the deadline, no new licenses will be granted to restaurants that use conventional fuels.
MOH of G South Ward, Virendra Mohite, stated that notices were sent to 84 eateries in the city that were using coal tandoors. He also stated that they have begun enforcement of this rule to ensure that tandoor bhattis switch to electric tandoors.
This move aims at controlling the air quality of Mumbai. But it is also affecting businesses of eateries and restaurants across the city. Restaurant owners are stating that without traditional tandoors, kebabs might lose their smoky depth and naans may not puff up quite the same way.
The citizens on social media have criticised this move of BMC on social media. A user of X posted on the microblogging site, “The BMC who is grilling every road in Mumbai, is concerned about Charcoal Grills. What next? Havan fires? My BMC Pointing one finger to others Forgetting that everything else points back to them.”
Another user posted, “Is this the result of a triple-headed government where no one wants to make decisions, and the focus is only on banning things? It seems like most decisions are being made by the least capable people at the lowest level.”
Another user criticised this decision of BMC by saying, "Yes, because our pollution is coming from charcoal grills and not cars & construction. My BMC, always against the poor and the marginalized!"
To address the issue of air pollution in Mumbai, Maharashtra's Environment and Climate Change Minister Pankaja Munde held a meeting with BMC and Pollution Control Board in January 2025.