BMC has suspended all construction activities in these areas as air quality worsened to ‘severe’ category
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has suspended construction activities in Borivali and Byculla after the air quality index breached the 200 mark. It also imposed several restrictions under stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in these areas.The BMC has asked real estate developers and construction agencies to take mitigation measures to fight pollution. The developers have been asked to cover the building under construction with green cloth and install at least 25 feet high sheet or metal covering around the construction project.
The developers have also been asked to undertake continuous water spraying, use a misting plant, scientifically store and transport dust, install air quality monitoring sensors, and install vehicle wheel washing facilities.The GRAP-4 restrictions, under the winter air pollution control plan, include a complete ban on construction activities, as the air quality worsened to the ‘severe’ category due to adverse weather conditions.Due to deteriorating air quality, the Stage 4 curbs had been implemented in Delhi earlier this month.
In a statement on December 30, the BMC said that it had inspected 877 construction projects and issued ‘Stop Work Notices’ at about 286 places so far and that this process would continue until the air quality improved.
For a densely populated city like Mumbai, air pollution is a larger threat because the density per square kilometre runs high and toxic air in one place can be a problem for a large number of people. It is important for sub-city level authorities to always stay alert to changes in pollutant strains, atmospheric composition and sources of air pollution. The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board has been a key driver in framing air pollution policies. While it is effective, it suffers from a lack of manpower,” writes Nova.