For this purpose, 125 water tankers will be hired on a contract basis for approximately 150 days (excluding the rainy season). In addition to large tankers, smaller tankers will also be deployed to clean narrow internal roads and lanes across the city.
Over the past few days, Mumbai’s air quality has deteriorated. The civic body has therefore re-implemented previously prepared pollution-control guidelines.
In recent years, air pollution in Mumbai tends to worsen with the onset of winter. Heavy vehicular traffic and ongoing construction activities generate significant dust on roads. To tackle this, the BMC had earlier introduced road-washing using water tankers. As the previous contractor’s agreement has ended, the civic body has now issued fresh tenders and decided to increase the number of tankers this year.
The tankers will operate for around 150 days, excluding the monsoon period. Officials noted that large tankers face difficulty accessing narrow streets, which is why smaller tankers will also be included this time.
For the past two to three years, Mumbai’s air quality has consistently declined during winter. Two years ago, the city’s air quality index had even deteriorated to levels worse than Delhi’s. At that time, the BMC had prepared a comprehensive action plan to address pollution.
Typically, with the arrival of winter comes a spike in air pollution, followed by the civic body’s action plan. Measures include issuing notices to construction sites, halting certain construction activities, washing roads with water, and banning bonfires.
This year as well, the civic body has decided to hire water tankers for a 150-day period to prevent pollution. Since the earlier contractor’s term has ended, new tenders have been invited and the number of tankers has been increased.
According to sources, the fleet will include tankers with capacities of 5,000 litres, 9,000 litres, and 2,000 litres to ensure effective cleaning across different types of roads in Mumbai.
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