Updated on: Dec 01, 2025 02:07 pm IST
Mumbai pollution: Areas that have recorded d “poor” air continuously in November, and also dropped to “very poor” air quality include Mazgaon, Malad and Deonar.
The civic authorities in Mumbai have begun implementing the Graded Response Action Plan-4 (GRAP-4) to curb the Maharashtra capital’s worsening air quality over the past few days. As the city continues to remain in haze, the authorities have decided to apply the measure in the worst-affected regions of the city.
The move comes as the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Mumbai improved to the ‘moderate’ category on Monday, with a reading of 103 as of 4 pm, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed.
Notably, areas that have recorded “poor” air quality continuously in November, and also dropped to “very poor” air quality (an AQI between 301-400), include Mazgaon, Malad and Deonar, as mentioned in an earlier HT report.
GRAP 4 in Mumbai: What’s allowed and what’s not
- The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which is the civic body responsible for Mumbai, will have to halt construction and dust-generating activities in the worst-affected regions.
- Road cleaning and other dust control measures will be carried out mainly in areas where AQI levels have stayed poor. These include Borivali east, Malad west, Chakala in Andheri east, Deonar, Mazgaon, Navy Nagar, Mulund west and Powai.
- Small-scale industries leading to rising pollution levels will be fined for violations.
- A civic official told HT that 95 flying squads deployed by the BMC inspected 70 construction sites across Mumbai. They issued stop-work notices at 53 of them until November 26 after the sites failed to follow the 28-point guidelines laid down by the BMC. These flying squads will continue to monitor pollution emissions.
- In other steps, bakery owners have been asked to demolish their chimneys, and marble cutting units in Chakala in Andheri east have been told to adopt cleaner methods.
- Apart from this, 450 junior supervisors from the BMC’s solid waste management department have been given the authority to levy fines. The official said that anyone caught dumping debris on the roads will face heavy penalties.
- Junior supervisors will also keep watch on polluting activities, including the burning of plastic and rubbish.
Bombay High Court on Mumbai pollution
Last week, the Bombay High Court refused to accept the Maharashtra government’s claim that the recent volcanic eruption in Ethiopia was responsible for the city’s deteriorating air quality.
“Even before this eruption, if one stepped out, visibility was poor beyond 500 metres,” the judges said.
The court later set up an independent five-member committee to inspect construction sites. Their task is to verify whether construction projects are following pollution control measures, HT reported earlier.
