What is Mumbai doing for Pollution Control?

India has been reeling from the pollution crisis for quite some time now, and in winter, the problem becomes even more visible. While Delhi is witnessing back-to-back protests against rising pollution, last week saw Mumbai take to the streets as the city’s AQI reached the “very poor” category. Bandra’s Carter Road, on Saturday, displayed slogans and placards such as “Stop Air Pollution, We Need Clean Air,” “Let Us Breathe, Let Mumbai Live,” “Smog Is Not Normal,” and “Clean Air Is a Human Right.”

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Mumbai’s overall AQI stood at 113 on Monday, December 1, which falls under the ‘moderate’ category. Last week, after locations such as Mazgaon, Deonar, and Malad consistently recorded poor AQI levels, the BMC imposed Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in these areas to help curb pollution. GRAP consists of four stages, with Stage 4 being the basic level of intervention and Stage 1 the most advanced. Mumbai is set to hold the BMC elections after the Supreme Court on Friday gave the nod for the local body polls. However, reports from the protests noted that some citizens said they would not vote unless the air quality improves and the issue becomes a priority for candidates and corporators.

So, what is Mumbai actually doing?

Yesterday, strict restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) 4 came into force in parts of Mumbai. Reports indicate that civic authorities have begun enforcing these measures after air quality in several areas crossed into the ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ categories.

So far, the affected areas include Mazgaon, Deonar, Malad, Borivali East, Chakala–Andheri East, Navy Nagar, Powai, and Mulund.

According to recent reports and updates, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation has halted construction and other dust-generating activities in these areas and is monitoring dozens of sites involved in such work. The civic body has issued stop-work and shutdown notices to more than 50 construction sites.

The local authority has reportedly also instructed small industries, including bakeries and marble-cutting units, to shift to cleaner processes or face action. Flying squads comprising engineers, police personnel, and GPS-tracked vehicles have been deployed in each ward to enforce the control measures and monitor emissions.

Last week, the BMC held a meeting to assess the rising air pollution in the city, during which the need for immediate measures was discussed. Dr. Bhushan Gagrani, Municipal Commissioner, reportedly noted that GRAP 4 curbs would be implemented if the AQI crosses 200 for three consecutive days.

In addition, according to the BMC’s recent Instagram announcements, demolition sites must be covered and water must be sprinkled throughout the process. All construction sites are required to be fully enclosed with green covers on all sides.

Trucks carrying construction materials must also be completely covered to prevent debris from being exposed. Construction sites have been instructed to maintain CCTV cameras on all sides to enable dust surveillance. Developers have further been asked to provide cooking arrangements for workers to avoid the burning of wood or scrap materials.

A call from renowned names

On the other hand, the Congress unit of the city has also come up with a ‘Clean Air Action Plan' which proposes identifying clean air as a fundamental right. It also concludes a round-the-clock monitoring of polluting activities and planting 1 million trees. Stricter pollution norms for vehicles, construction, and industries have also been included.

In a unique turnaround, the celebrities who are often called and criticised for not participating in the socio-political issues have come together to voice their concern. Some of them include Stand-up comic and actor Vir Das who shared a video on Instagram in which he sang "AQI, AQI, let me die". 

Actor and filmmaker Soni Razdan also called for urgent measures to tackle air pollution saying, "Let us not be guilty of allowing apathy to kill us. Because that's what will happen." Lyricist and filmmaker Varun Grover stated that the reason air quality is not as big an issue as it deserves to be is "because its killing effects take a decade or two - it might even cut down your lifespan by 15 years".

What does it look like for Navi Mumbai?

Similarly, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation announced a plan last week to carry out large-scale dust-control cleaning drives across major arterial roads and MIDC industrial zones, reportedly on the instructions of Municipal Commissioner Dr. Kailas Shinde during a recent review meeting.

Following the order, teams across all eight ward offices have begun deep-cleaning operations, which include removing accumulated soil from road edges, transporting it away, and washing the stretches using mechanical sweepers, sprinkler vehicles, and jet-spray machines.

Priority areas include Thane–Belapur Road, Amra Marg, and key MIDC roads such as South Central Road in Turbhe, South Feeder Road in Ghansoli, and the Mahape–Koparkhairane route.

Reports state that wire-brush brooms and flipper machines are being used to collect dust, while ENCAP fogger vehicles spray water mist at busy junctions to reduce suspended particulate matter. The civic body is also using treated wastewater from advanced sewage treatment plants for cleaning and fogging to avoid drawing on freshwater supplies.

The major reasons for pollution in Mumbai and the wider Metropolitan Region (MMR) are frequently attributed to year-round construction activities, vehicular emissions, and waste burning, while existing policy measures are often seen as insufficient to curb or control these issues.

Even after the plan has been announced, alone in Andheri West — a big suburb area— there are multiple construction activities going on, at least, till Monday. Similar has been the condition of Navi Mumbai, as a source confirmed. 

Commenting on such a scenario, NatConnect Foundation says, “The Standard Operating Procedures issued by the Brihanmumbai and Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporations are merely a band-aid on a wound that needs surgery.”

“Reckless quarrying, the operation of RMC plants along the Uran–Panvel stretch of NH-348, and unchecked emissions from trucks and dumpers continue to be ignored,” NatConnect director B N Kumar points out while talking to Local Samosa.

Navi Mumbai has barely one tree per person, while Mumbai fares worse with one tree for every four people, far below the nationally accepted norm of three trees per head, the director says. “The 3-30-300 rule - three trees per head, green canopy in 30 metres from your place of work or home and open and green area in 300 metres - seems to exist only on paper.”

According to Kumar, “Nothing will improve until green cover is expanded on a mission scale.” He suggests that regular washing of trees with recycled water to reduce dust load along with civic bodies prioritising native, fruit-bearing species to strengthen local biodiversity can help.