Mumbai, Nov 27 (LatestNewsX) – Amid worsening air quality and shockingly high pollution levels in Mumbai, Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora called on Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Bhushan Gagarin to step in and act swiftly. Deora urged the commissioner to halt all digging, construction, and excavation work for the time being, arguing that the ban would curb the dust that fuels the city’s deteriorating AQI.
He described Mumbai’s situation as a “public‑health emergency” and demanded urgent, extraordinary measures. “Mumbai’s air‑pollution crisis is no longer a seasonal issue— it is a public‑health emergency,” Deora wrote in a two‑page letter, adding that India must wage a nation‑wide campaign against air pollution. “Mumbai is gasping for clean air. As a Mumbaikar & a public representative, I believe we deserve better. It is my duty as your MP to stand with you on this growing concern. Let’s come together & build a public‑awareness movement for clean air.”
Deora highlighted that the city’s AQI has reached dangerous levels, citing a 298 rating (Unhealthy) on November 22 with PM2.5 at 126 µg/m³ and PM10 at 163 µg/m³, and a 255 rating the following day. He noted that October 2025 was Mumbai’s most polluted month, with several monitoring points registering their highest-ever concentrations of particulate matter.
According to the BMC Environment Status Report for 2024‑25, yearly PM10 levels across zones vary from 70–125 µg/m³, while PM2.5 ranges from 27–52 µg/m³, with Chembur showing the highest levels. Deora called for a temporary moratorium on all road‑digging, construction, and excavation activities until city‑wide AQI values drop to safe limits. He stressed that construction dust is the single biggest source of particulates in Mumbai and proposed daily, strict inspections of all sites, immediate shut‑down of any non‑compliant location, mandatory washing and water‑sprinkling of trucks carrying debris, cement, soil, and other materials, and the installation of on‑site washing bays alongside enhanced dust‑suppression methods such as fogging, roadside water‑sprinkling, and mechanical sweeping—especially in hotspot areas.
He also suggested that real‑time AQI monitors be installed near construction and industrial clusters, with ward‑wise data made publicly available. Deora warned that repeat violators would face stiff penalties and restrictions on future permits or tender participation.
Deora pointed out that prolonged exposure to high PM2.5 and PM10 levels can raise respiratory disease, cardiovascular risk, and long‑term morbidity, directly affecting millions of residents, including children and the elderly. “Despite BMC’s October 2024 guidelines that call for full barricading, green‑cloth covering, water sprinkling, dust‑extraction systems, and mandated AQI monitors at construction sites, compliance on the ground remains inconsistent. Certain neighbourhoods, such as Mazagaon, have repeatedly crossed AQI 300, indicating that the current enforcement regime is inadequate,” he said.
He urged that air‑quality management become a year‑round priority instead of a temporary seasonal response, and called for immediate action to protect Mumbai’s health and future.
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