edited by: Oindrila Mukherjee
Last Update: March 13, 2023, 02:40 AM IST
Mumbai has been grappling with poor air quality for the past few months and reports show that out of 365 days last year, the air was poor for more than 270 days. (Image: AP/File)
The BMC said the air quality in the Mumbai region, including the city, is poor due to change in wind speed conditions along with dust rising from various development and construction works.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has decided to form a seven-member committee as Mumbai has already recorded 66 ‘poor’ air days in 2023. The panel will have to submit a report within seven days, based on which remedial measures will be taken. Increasing air pollution, such as stopping construction work.
The committee will be headed by Additional Municipal Commissioner (Western Suburbs) Dr. Sanjeev Kumar. “The air quality in Mumbai region including the city is currently poor due to change in wind speed conditions combined with dust rising from various development and construction works. In view of this, dust is the main factor responsible for air pollution,” said a press release issued by BMC.
The committee was formed by BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal in the meeting held on Sunday. Based on the report of the committee, the final standard operating procedure for dust control will be finalized and implemented from April 1 in the areas under the municipal body. Chahal said that violation of any rule under this SOP would result in issuance of a ‘stop work notice’ along with other action.
“The air pollution situation in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region is like never before. Large-scale construction as well as dust generated from development works, change in wind speed have been found to be two main factors in the post-Covid era. Although the natural conditions are beyond human control, at present, there are more than 5,000 sites in Mumbai where various works are going on, it is in the hands of the administration to keep a check on it,” read the BMC release.
Compiled data of non-Covid related respiratory diseases, including asthma, shows that around 13,444 people have died due to these diseases in the last five years in Mumbai. Experts have also attributed this to the poor air quality in the city.
In the past few months, Mumbai has been battling with persistent poor air quality and reports suggest that the air was poor for more than 270 days out of 365 last year.
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