BMC issues fresh guidelines to tackle air pollution

Mumbai: Amidst rising concerns about Mumbai’s worsening air quality index (AQI), the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday released a fresh set of guidelines to take immediate and stringent measures to tackle air pollution. The guidelines mostly reinforce measures already specified in the Mumbai Air Pollution Mitigation Plan (MAPMP).

According to the guidelines, mechanical sweeping machines must be deployed to clean up dust on all roads in the city and water sprinklers must be installed at construction sites and high-traffic zones to contain air pollution. Engineers working in BMC’s solid waste management (SWM) department would be required to maintain daily records and submit weekly reports regarding inspections, punitive action, and improvements.

The new guidelines also bar vehicles from carrying construction debris without a proper cover and valid permit and reinforce the ban on burning waste anywhere in the city.

On Monday, while the city’s average AQI was 136, indicating moderate air quality, the AQI at Malad was 228, indicating poor air quality. The maximum temperature at Santacruz was 38 degrees Celsius, 3.5 degrees below normal while the minimum temperature 20.4 degrees Celsius, 2.8 degrees above normal. The maximum and minimum temperatures at Colaba were 29 degrees Celsius, 2.8 degrees below normal and 1.5 degrees above normal, respectively.

The minimum temperature is likely to rise by two to four degrees over the next few days, said the Indian Meteorological Department.