For the second consecutive day, Mumbai woke as much as discover itself buried underneath a blanket of smog on Tuesday morning as residents continued to reel underneath excessive air high quality index (AQI) of 115, which is categorised as ‘reasonable’, with some areas like Shivaji Nagar, BKC and Sewri even breaching the ‘poor class’.
Amid issues of the additional deterioration of air high quality index within the bay because it braces for monsoon withdrawal, municipal commissioner and state appointed administrator, Bhushan Gagrani on Monday convened a gathering with ward officers calling for strict monitoring to make sure that the rules to regulate air pollution at development websites are being adhered to.
Final 12 months, in a bid to fight emissions and dirt from the infrastructural tasks unfolding within the metropolis, which is amongst a key contributor to dangerous AQI, the BMC had launched a set of tips which comprised a volley of guidelines starting from stricter guidelines for development websites, full ban of open rubbish burning to deploying enforcement squads on ward stage for monitoring.
Senior civic officers, nevertheless, say that the implementation of air air pollution mitigation measures had taken a again seat throughout the monsoon months, when the air high quality is often passable.
“Throughout monsoons, owing to rains, air high quality is of course good and even development exercise slows down. Apart from, the employees is directed in direction of endeavor monsoon-related actions. Subsequently, the mitigation measures like rules had been low whereas issuing cease work notices was stalled,” stated an official.
Almost one 12 months because the introduction of the rules–because the BMC now gears as much as as soon as once more drive up its air air pollution mitigation measures in mild of the winter months–Specific revisits the civic tips to test the place the implementation of the civic rulebook stands right now.
Issuing cease work notices at development web site
To curb air air pollution emanating from development websites, which the Mumbai Air Air pollution Mitigation Plan (MAPMP) recognized as one of many key contributors to the burgeoning AQI ranges within the metropolis, the civic tips directed that websites have to be lined with inexperienced fabric or jute sheet. Amongst different tips, the rule additionally said that any mission sprawling over one acre and past the peak of 70 metres should erect 35-feet excessive tin or steel sheets whereas websites spanning inside one acre should set up sheets with the peak of 25 toes at the least.
It warned that failure to stick to the principles would result in stringent motion together with cease work notices, sealing of worksites and so forth. Since then, the BMC has issued 901 cease work notices alongside 824 present trigger notices to websites which had been seen flouting the principles.
Nevertheless, officers stated that no notices have been issued since April/Might, after which monsoon kicked off within the metropolis.
In line with BMC officers, with the winter on playing cards, the BMC is eyeing to as soon as once more begin issuing the notices and enhance vigilance. Just lately, high BMC officers additionally convened conferences with builders associations and others like CREDAI, instructing them to stick to the norms. In the meantime, on Monday, civic chief Gagrani referred to as for the formation of flying squads who will overlook development websites on floor, including that if the members file a number of instances of violation, then ‘cease work’ discover could be issued towards the contractor instantly.
Full ban on rubbish burning in open
One of many high 5 sources of air pollution as per the MAPMP, the rules issued a whole ban on open burning anyplace inside BMC jurisdiction, particularly at rubbish dumping grounds and doable websites of trash burning.
Following this, the BMC–for the primary time in 17 years because the approval of the stable waste administration bylaws–began issuing a penalty of Rs 100 and registering a case towards rubbish burning from November 2023.
Information furnished by the BMC reveals that between November 2023 and October 1, 2024, the BMC has logged 336 instances towards these discovered burning rubbish within the open in Mumbai. In the meantime, a sum of Rs 90,100 has been collected in penalty over violation of the identical, throughout this era.
Unloading of Development and Demolition (C&D) waste
The rules additionally said that each one development websites ought to make sure that the C&D waste generated inside their premises have to be transported to the designated unloading web site and that the autos must also be totally cleaned thereafter.
Data confirmed that because the rule got here into power, the BMC has scooped up a whopping Rs 57.28 lakh in penalties towards these discovered finishing up unauthorised dumping of development and demolition waste. In line with an official, practically 1,186 instances had been logged in violation of this rule with the utmost instances recorded in B ward (105 instances), adopted by 52 instances in R/South ward.
In the meantime, the BMC has additionally fast-tracked its first ever processing crops for C&D waste that are slated to change into operational quickly. Bringing a recent lease of life to the discarded C&D waste, two models–one in Dahisar and one other in Shilphata–will every course of 600 metric tonnes of waste day by day which is able to then be recycled for making tiles, paver blocks and different precast supplies for tasks throughout the town.
Protecting C&D autos with tarpaulin
To forestall mud from the development materials or particles from turning into airborne, the BMC had directed that each one the autos ferrying C&D merchandise to be lined from all sides.
In mild of violation of the rule, the BMC has collected Rs 10.68 lakh in penalties towards these autos which had been seen transporting C&D waste. An official stated that 634 instances have been logged towards the uncovered dumpers.
Data present that the utmost instances have been noticed in D ward whereby 282 instances had been recorded. Moreover, 57 instances had been noticed in R/South ward adopted by 40 instances within the B ward.
