BMC swings into action to check Mumbai’s deteriorating air quality

BMC swings into action to check Mumbai’s deteriorating air quality, Apart from compulsory 35 ft high iron sheet enclosures, entire building under construction to be enclosed with green cloth, jute sheet, tarpaulin

Amid rapidly deteriorating Mumbai’s air quality due to dust and pollution, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation(BMC) on Friday swung into action and released a slew of remedial and preventive measures. At the meeting of stakeholders chaired by the BMC Commissioner and Administrator Iqbal Singh Chahal, it was decided that Standard operative procedures (SPS)/guidelines for ensuring better quality of air in Mumbai will be issued by October 23. Compulsory 35 feet high iron sheet enclosures on all construction sites will be made mandatory. Entire building under construction to be enclosed with green cloth/jute sheet/tarpaulin.

Provision of sprinkler systems within 15 days and anti-smog guns within 30 days on all construction sites will be made mandatory.  BMC will operate anti-smog guns on 50 to 60 major roads.  The pollution due to refineries, Tata Power Plant and RCF to be checked by experts in this field.

BMC’s move comes when PM 10 levels rise above Delhi as the Mumbaikars will witness toxic winter.

Chahal directed all the stakeholders to ensure that the pollution caused by dust due to nearly 6000 construction sites all over Mumbai shall be monitored by the concerned agencies and all remedial and preventive measures shall be taken as discussed during the meeting.  The Government and the private agencies shall be treated at par and any violations shall be dealt by issuing stop work notices at the site itself.  The SOP/guidelines for ensuring better air quality shall be issued on 23rd October 2023.  The CEOs of MHADA, SRA, MIDC; MD, MSRDC; MD, MMRCL; MC, MMRDA and the Presidents of CREDAI; MCHI; NAREDCO; PEATA along with their office bearers attended this meeting.

The Municipal Commissioner & Administrator directed all the stakeholders to ensure compliance of following measures :-

For construction industry

Any construction site having area of one acre or above shall compulsorily have iron sheet enclosure of 35 feet high on all sides.  For an area less than one acre construction site, the iron sheet enclosure shall be of 25 feet height.  The entire building under construction shall be enclosed with green cloth/jute sheet/tarpaulin to ensure that no dust spreads during the construction activity.

• All construction sites shall compulsorily install sprinkler systems within 15 days and use the same for all times when the construction is ongoing.

• All construction sites shall mandatorily install anti-smog machines within 30 days.

• BMC shall deploy anti-smog vehicle mounted machines on 50 to 60 major roads in the city.

• All construction sites shall install independent air quality measuring devices and monitor them scrupulously.

• All the construction works undertaken by Metro, Roads Department and other government agencies shall also enclose their construction sites and provide sprinkler systems and anti-smog guns.

• Screens on all sides shall be provided for any building which is to be demolished and water sprinklers shall be deployed to settle dust during the course of demolition.

• Any construction works like marble cutting, grinding, cutting of construction materials, etc. shall be carried out in enclosed premises only.

Transportation vehicles

All the transportation vehicles transporting construction debris shall be covered properly with tarpaulin sheets.  No such vehicle shall be allowed to carry more than the designated weight.

• Tires of all such vehicles shall be mandatorily cleaned to remove dust and sprinkled with water before they leave construction sites and ply on the road.  All these vehicles must be cleaned/washed after the day’s work.

• All the construction sites shall have CCTV networks to ensure that all measures to be taken at construction sites are being implemented.

• The transportation vehicles which are dumping debris on the roads and footpaths in Mumbai shall be penalized heavily and their registration shall be revoked.

• Special squads shall be pressed into action to keep watch on the transportation vehicles.

• The Transport Commissioner’s department shall take stringent action against vehicles violating the above norms

Industrial activity

• MPCB and BMC shall depute experts to verify the level of pollution caused due to refineries, Tata Power Plant and RCF and check their installations for their pollution control measures.  The random samples shall be collected by the experts from these installations on a regular basis and they shall be chemically analysed to ensure that no pollution is caused by these plants.

• If any violations are observed, stringent action shall be initiated against the offenders.

Special squads for monitoring pollution control

• 50 squads in 24 Municipal Administrative Wards shall visit all the construction sites every day to ensure compliance of above instructions.

• These squads will do video-recording at the construction sites where violations are observed and issue stop work notice at the site itself.

• The squads of Transport Commissioner shall check if any vehicles are plying on roads beyond their designated service life, without proper PUC or overloading and take stringent penal and disciplinary action against the defaulters including revocation of such vehicle’s registration.