Mumbai enforces strictest pollution control curbs after AQI turns severe
What's the story
Mumbai's air quality has deteriorated to "very poor" and "severe" levels in several areas, prompting the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to implement strict measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP 4). The areas include Mazgaon, Deonar, Malad, Borivali East, Chakala-Andheri East, Navy Nagar, Powai, and Mulund. Construction activities in these regions have been halted, with over 50 sites served stop-work notices.
Emission monitoring
BMC's flying squads monitor emissions, enforce pollution control
The BMC has also ordered small industries to switch to cleaner processes or face punitive action. Flying squads, comprising engineers and police personnel with GPS-tracked vehicles, have been deployed across every ward to monitor emissions and enforce pollution control measures. The curbs were imposed after activists and citizens formed a human chain at the Carter road promenade in Bandra on Sunday, demanding clean air from the authorities.
Citizen engagement
Activists urge citizens to take action against air pollution
Environmental activist Natasha Pereira who organized the event, said, "We are trying to tell people that the air we are breathing is worsening. People must wake up and take whatever action they can in their own way." Social activist Lalita Deonalli urged people to avoid using vehicles for short distances, while environmental activist Aditi Kane suggested citizens ask developers to follow civic body guidelines during redevelopments. Chembur resident Nitin Kumar advocated cycling as an alternative mode of transport.
Delayed action
What court said on AQI
The state government last week attributed part of the smog to the recent eruption of Ethiopia's Hayli Gubbi volcano, which sent ash 14km into the atmosphere. The court, unconvinced, noted that Mumbai's air was already bad even before the eruption. "Even before this eruption, if one stepped out, visibility was poor beyond 500 meters," the bench observed.