Mumbai Court Orders Strict Action on Construction Pollution, Forms Committee

Image Source: Internet

The Bombay High Court has taken a crucial step towards addressing Mumbai's poor air quality by ordering the formation of a five-member committee to monitor construction activities. The committee, comprising officials from the BMC, MPCB, and state public health department, will inspect construction sites to ensure adherence to pollution control measures. This move comes as the court heard several petitions highlighting the steady deterioration of Mumbai's Air Quality Index since 2023. While acknowledging that improving air quality will take time, the court emphasized that proper implementation of existing guidelines could lead to significant improvement within a fortnight. The court has directed the BMC and MPCB to submit a report by 15 December detailing their actions to control air pollution in the previous year. The court's focus on construction-related pollution is a significant step towards mitigating the city's air quality crisis, which has been exacerbated by the lack of consistent implementation of guidelines such as sprinkling water, using sensors, and CCTV monitoring at construction sites. Immediate action on dust and construction-related pollution is expected to be taken within one to two weeks if guidelines are properly followed.