The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is considering lifting the road trenching restrictions introduced on December 30. The measures were aimed at reducing air pollution. The city had stopped issuing new permits for road excavation for two weeks to reduce dust and pollutants. These restrictions will now only remain in areas with poor air quality.
The civic body has been working on a cement concreting project covering 700 kilometers of roads in the city. Road excavation was found to be a major reason behind the declining air quality. As part of its pollution control efforts, the BMC banned construction activities in Byculla and Borivali East. It also implemented a total ban on road excavation to control dust emissions.
The restrictions have resulted in a slight improvement in air quality in certain areas. This has led the BMC to consider lifting the ban in some regions. Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani stated that no new permits would be issued in areas with poor air quality. Other areas may see relaxed restrictions soon.
Between November 1 and December 31, the BMC issued stop-work notices to 462 construction projects for violating regulations. Of these, 271 notices were withdrawn after measures to control dust were implemented. On January 6, the BMC lifted the ban on 45 projects in Borivali East and 33 in Byculla.
Despite these efforts, areas like Colaba-Navy Nagar and Govandi-Shivaji Nagar continue to report poor air quality. These locations are under constant monitoring.