Mumbai, Oct 26 (IANS) Maharashtra Cultural Affairs Minister and Mumbai Suburban Guardian Minister Ashish Shelar on Monday, in a letter to Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide, has proposed that all construction and demolition activities across the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) limits be halted one day a week to curb rising air pollution in Mumbai.
He has also called for immediate and effective measures in view of the likelihood of worsening air pollution during winter.
Minister Shelar noted that citizens had submitted several representations regarding rising air pollution in Mumbai, while the Bombay High Court had also expressed concern over deteriorating air quality.
He welcomed the measures already undertaken by the BMC, including pollution-control measures at construction sites, ward-level inspection teams, monitoring of 3,166 construction sites through the Central Air Quality Dashboard, a construction debris management system, the use of clean fuels in bakeries and pollution-control systems at crematoriums.
He also noted that PM10 pollution levels in Mumbai had declined by approximately 48 per cent since 2017-18. However, he stressed that more comprehensive measures were needed to effectively control pollution.
Minister Shelar proposed a Mumbai-specific Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to ensure that predetermined measures are implemented promptly whenever air quality deteriorates.
He also called for roads in pollution-prone areas and along major traffic corridors to be washed using treated wastewater, water sprinkling, mechanised night-time road cleaning, urgent pothole repairs and timely restoration of roads after excavation.
He further proposed a dedicated helpline and social media account for reporting incidents of waste burning, fires at dumping grounds and illegal dumping of construction debris.
Complaints should be addressed promptly, offenders penalised, and weekly action-taken reports made public. Anti-smog guns and mist sprayers should also be deployed at highly polluted locations and major traffic junctions.
Calling for stricter enforcement against polluting vehicles, he suggested coordinated action by the Mumbai Traffic Police and the Regional Transport Office (RTO), increased checks of Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates and restrictions on heavy vehicles without valid certificates entering the BMC area.
He stressed that these measures should extend beyond Mumbai and be implemented in coordination with all relevant local bodies across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).
Minister Shelar also called for the pending installation of sensor-based air-quality monitoring systems at construction sites to be completed urgently.
He urged the conversion of the remaining 87 bakeries using wood or coal to cleaner fuels. He also raised concerns about industrial fuel consumption across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
According to a report by the Centre for Science and Environment, industries in the region consume approximately two million tonnes of coal for energy and fuel.
He suggested exploring low-interest loans, concessions on government taxes and financial assistance through a Green Energy Fund to encourage industries to transition to clean and green fuels.
He called for incentive schemes to accelerate the electrification of public and private transport vehicles in Mumbai and surrounding areas, with active participation from the automotive industry and private companies.
Emphasising the importance of citizen, youth and industry participation in the fight against air pollution, Minister Shelar proposed meetings in all 26 BMC wards involving citizen groups, elected representatives and concerned government departments to identify local problems and determine appropriate solutions.
He further suggested a separate meeting with representatives of leading companies in the industrial sector to secure their cooperation, technical assistance and financial support for pollution-control initiatives.
Minister Shelar underscored that air pollution in Mumbai is a serious issue directly affecting citizens’ health and quality of life.
He stressed the need for urgent and long-term measures, effective utilisation of available resources and stronger coordination among various departments to address the problem.
–IANS
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