Mumbai: BMC sets up committee among measures to tackle worsening air quality in city

Mumbai’s AQI is emerging as a major cause of concern even as the city reels under rising temperature and heat wave like conditions

As the air quality in India’s financial capital of Mumbai continues to deteriorate, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Sunday launched a series of measures including setting up of a committee which would submit its report in a week’s time.

Mumbai’s Air Quality Index (AQI) is emerging as a major cause of concern even as the city reels under soaring mercury and heat wave like conditions.

BMC’s Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Dr Iqbal Singh Chahal chaired an important meeting to discuss the issue threadbare and came out with a series of measures.

It was decided to set up a seven-member committee headed by Additional Municipal Commissioner Dr Sanjeev Kumar, which would submit a report in seven days.

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Dust control measures will be strictly implemented in the BMC area from 1 April 2023, strict action will be taken against violators.

“The air quality in the Mumbai region is currently bad due to changes in the wind speed conditions combined with dust arising from various development and construction works, which are going on a large scale. Dust is the main factor responsible for air pollution,” the BMC officials said.

The air pollution situation has arisen like never before in the Mumbai metropolitan city. “In the post-Covid period, the dust generated by large-scale construction as well as various development works, changes in the wind speed have been found to be the two main factors. Although the natural conditions are out of human control, at present, there are more than 5,000 sites in Mumbai where various works are going on, it is in the hands of administration to minimise the dust generated from these locations,” the officials said.

Based on the report of the committee, the final Standard Operating Procedure for dust control in the BMC area, will be finalised and implemented from 1 April, 2023.