MUMBAI: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued show-cause notices to 135 construction sites and stop-work notices to 93 developers, directing them to halt construction activities as part of measures to address air pollution in the city.
According to the BMC, its teams inspected 1,082 sites across the city in February. The action was taken by the BMC’s Environment and Climate Change Department along with the administrative ward divisions after extensive inspections, in a bid to maintain air quality.
“The BMC administration is implementing various measures to ensure that the air quality in Mumbai remains healthy and it was observed that many construction projects were not adhering the norms and that were adding more pollution in air,” said a senior BMC official, adding that immediate action was taken against projects violating environmental norms.
The official said that for projects complying with environmental norms, the earlier notices were withdrawn to provide relief.
He added that to reduce dust levels, the BMC has launched a deep-cleaning campaign on public roads and other areas.
“A distance of 1,454.09 kilometres of roads were cleaned using water tankers. Misting machines were also used on roads covering a distance of 684.8 kilometers. All measures are taken to conserve the environment. Not only punitive but also preventive and corrective measures are being implemented. The Environment Department has clarified that the main objective of this campaign is to maintain healthy air quality and conserve the environment,” the official added.
Several Bollywood actors, activists and fitness enthusiasts have also raised concerns over the deteriorating air quality in Mumbai. Among them is Bollywood actor and fitness icon Saiyami Kher, who compared the present poor air quality and toxic dust situation to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sharing a picture of herself standing by the beach while wearing a mask, Ms Kher spoke about how running by the sea at Carter Road had been a part of her life for years. She added that she began running a decade ago and enjoyed the fresh ocean breeze every morning. Now, however, it feels “dystopian” to wear a mask before going for a run.
"Every morning, I'd find myself on Carter Road, chasing the ocean breeze. That wind is what made me fall in love with this city and running. I want to feel it again. And dystopian as it is, I put on a mask before lacing my shoes. It took me back to the pandemic. Except there's no virus in the air endangering our lives. The air itself could kill us. I never imagined a day when the very thing we breathe to survive would become a luxury," she wrote.