Mumbai civic body issues stop-work order to construction sites as AQI dips

Amid worsening AQI, the civic body has halted work at 53 construction sites and rolled out hundreds of AQI monitoring sensors across the city

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Mumbai continued to remain under a blanket of smog on Friday as air quality worsened across multiple locations in the financial capital. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Air Quality Index (AQI) at Bandra Kurla Complex stood at 150 at 8 am.

 

The city’s average AQI was 128 at 9 am, categorised as ‘moderate’, though some regions in the suburbs recorded poorer figures. Deonar registered an AQI of 191, edging close to the ‘poor’ category. 

In other parts of Mumbai, AQI was recorded as- Chembur (138), Kurla (122), Mazgaon (134), Malad West (136) and Ghatkopar (139).

BMC orders work to stop at 53 construction sites

To curb rising dust pollution, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued stop-work notices to 53 construction sites across the city for failing to comply with anti-pollution norms. Additional Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Joshi warned that strict action will follow if guidelines are ignored or if air-quality tracking systems are not fully operational.

 

As part of ongoing enforcement drives, the civic body has installed 662 sensor-based AQI monitoring systems at construction sites and is in the process of adding 251 more. However, 117 of the installed sensors were found to be inactive. Ward-level flying squads have been instructed to penalise those responsible.

 

The stop-work notices span multiple wards, including 17 locations in Siddharth Nagar (G-South), five in Mazgaon (E), and 31 in Malad West (P-North). The action aligns with guidelines introduced last year requiring dust suppression through water sprinkling, proper covering and fencing of construction areas, secure transport and storage of debris, and installation of smoke-absorption systems.

 

The BMC stated that other pollution-control measures are under way, such as transition to cleaner fuel in bakeries and crematoriums, scientific disposal of construction waste, and deployment of water-sprinkling machines on major roads. Out of 593 bakeries in Mumbai, 266 have either adopted clean fuel or are in the process of doing so.

Court dismisses volcanic ash claims

The civic enforcement drive comes as the Bombay High Court expressed concern over consistently poor air quality in the city. When state representatives linked the issue to a recent volcanic eruption in Ethiopia, the court refused to entertain the argument, noting that Mumbai’s visibility and air quality had been concerning well before the eruption.

 

Political leaders, including Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, have also called for swift and stronger interventions, arguing that air pollution has turned into a public health emergency.

 

(With inputs from PTI)