Desperately seeking to reverse the trend of pollution increase caused by the rising number of construction activities, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has come up with an idea of a significant increase in penalties for pollution control norms violations at construction sites all over Mumbai. Thus, the minimum fine for non-compliance would increase five times—from ₹10,000 to ₹50,000—according to the proposal, indicating a more severe approach of the civic body to the problem of air quality that keeps getting worse.
According to the statements of senior civic officials, the proposed amendment is the main reason for the promoters and the contractors to make the dust control and other environmental protection measures work for less pollution. The proposal was handed over to Administrator Bhushan Gagrani for his consideration.
At the moment, the lowest penalty that is imposed for violations is ₹10,000. We have made a proposal to raise it to ₹50,000 so that it really acts as a deterrent to construction sites that cause air pollution, stated Avinash Kate, Deputy Municipal Commissioner, Environment, and Climate change department.
Strengthening compliance at construction sites
Construction dust is by far the biggest contributor to particulate pollution in Mumbai during the cold season when atmospheric conditions do not allow the pollutants to disperse. It was revealed that trespasses have been registered at big and small construction sites, therefore, the authorities have demanded that punishments be made more severe.
The penalty increase is anticipated to pave the way for stricter adherence to pollution mitigation measures like covering construction material, installing dust screens, deploying mist cannons, water sprinkling regularly, and clean access road maintenance.
According to Avinash Kate, higher fines would also make it very clear to developers that environmental compliance is not an option. The goal is not just penalizing the violators but ensuring that all construction sites continuously follow pollution control norms, he said.
Currently, BMC monitors 1,954 private construction sites that are in progress all over the city. However, the responsibility is on 94 special flying squads which efficiency is ensured by a sub-engineer, an assistant engineer and a nuisance detector all from the environment and climate change department.
These groups will perform unannounced inspections, verify dust control techniques, and start enforcement actions where violations are found.
In fact, on Thursday only, the local government sent show-cause notices to 20 construction sites and stop-work notices to 18 sites for not abiding by pollution control standards. Besides that, BMC deployed deep-cleaning mist machines at 27 places in the city while water tankers were used to wash roads at 41 locations so as to lessen re-suspended dust.
Rising enforcement since December
According to civic officials, enforcement has been stepped up since the first of December which is usually the time when the air quality of Mumbai is at its worst due to a mixture of construction dust, vehicular emissions, and bad weather.
BMC issued 353 show-cause notices and 121 stop-work notices between December 1 and December 16 this year. They claim that these activities sustained over a long period have already had a visible impact on air quality.
The data provided by the civic body shows that the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Mumbai during the same period last year was between 158 and 167 mainly falling in the “moderate to poor” category. This year, at that time, the AQI values have stayed between 105 and 113 allowing for relatively better air quality.
Mulund West has managed to keep up with as the area turned out to be the cleanest place on Thursday, registering the lowest AQI of 64.
The air in Borivali East was comparatively more breathable as the AQI rose to 110 while the Mazgaon had an AQI of 108 followed by Sewri at 104.
Bandra-Kurla Complex and Navy Nagar-Colaba had an AQI of 144 each. Chembur registered 143 AQI. Colaba had an AQI of 139, Siddharth Nagar in Worli 135, Kandivali West 130, Shivaji Nagar 126 and Chakala in Andheri East 121.
Based on the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, the average air quality in Mumbai on Thursday was within the "moderate" category most of the time with a pollutant index value of 138.
The AQI was most polluted in Mindspace, Malad West, where the value reached 192. Kherwadi, Bandra East if the AQI is 162 and Ghatkopar if it is 156 are the places where the air was the most polluted after Mindspace. Byculla and Deonar had AQI levels of 149 each, whereas Malad West recorded an AQI of 148.
The AQI in Bandra-Kurla Complex and Navy Nagar-Colaba was 144 each. A 143 AQI was documented in Chembur. The AQI in Colaba was 139, Siddharth Nagar in Worli 135, Kandivali West 130, Shivaji Nagar 126, and Chakala in Andheri East 121.
Civic officials admitted that while construction is necessary for Mumbai’s development, it cannot be at the cost of people's health. They said the proposed rise in penalty rates is just one element of a larger plan to balance urban development with environmental protection.
If the revised penalty scheme gets the green light, it will considerably increase the non-compliance cost developers will have to bear, thereby, sending a strong message from BMC that pollution control will be their topmost concern in the coming months.
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