The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has made it mandatory for all construction sites to install sensor-based air pollution monitoring systems to make air quality data available to the public in real-time.
Since the directive was issued in June, only 44 percent of the sites have complied with it. Now, the corporation has issued a one-month ultimatum, warning of strict action against developers who fail to meet the deadline.
The directives have been issued following a Bombay High Court order in Suo Motu Public Interest Litigation (PIL) No. 3 of 2023, which sought strict measures to control dust and air pollution at construction sites.
Accordingly, the environment department of the corporation has issued an expression of interest (EOI) to identify and approve certified PM 2.5 and PM 10 monitoring equipment.
Around 13 companies have been selected based on the required technical specifications for the approved monitoring equipment.
Currently, there are around 1,200 construction sites in the city. Developers can buy air quality monitoring systems from vendors included in the panel for installation at their construction sites.
So far, about 44 per cent of developers have implemented these systems. While 168 developers are currently in the process of achieving compliance. “If the remaining developers do not comply, strict action will be taken against them,” a senior civic official said.
Air quality monitors installed at construction sites should display real-time pollution data on LED boards. This data should also be continuously transmitted to the municipal corporation’s centralized server for monitoring and compliance tracking.
Failure to comply with these instructions may lead to action such as suspension of project approval, issuance of stop work notices, imposition of monetary penalty or complete closure of the site, an official said.
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