311 bakeries in Mumbai yet to switch to cleaner fuel, Bombay High Court extends deadline
The BMC’s data shows that as of now, bakeries contribute to 6 per cent of Mumbai’s overall air quality.
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Vada pav is a staple at Mumbai bakeries (Express Photo By Ganesh Shirsekar)The Bombay High Court Wednesday extended the deadline for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) to ensure that bakeries in the city using wood and coal convert their operations to gas or other green fuels.
While hearing PILs raising concerns of ‘alarming’ air pollution levels in Mumbai and surrounding areas, a special bench of the high court on January 9 directed the authorities to ensure conversion within six months. Even as the civic body’s deadline came to a close on July 8, 311 bakeries, or 54 per cent, are yet to make a switch to cleaner fuels and comply with the court-mandated directives.
On Wednesday, a bench of Justices Makarand S Karnik and Nitin R Borkar passed an order granting extension for the implementation of the new sources. The order came on an interim application by Faiz Alam Bakery, Masoodul Hasan Khan, and others seeking extension to implement the court order and the BMC notice in that regard.
The high court posted a hearing on the interim plea to July 28 and noted, “In the peculiar facts and for the reasons mentioned in the application, we are satisfied that the time granted by this Court in the interregnum needs to be extended till the next date.” The bench also directed the BMC not to act on its notice of January 29 to the bakeries until the next hearing.
Presently, Mumbai is home to 573 operational bakeries. According to data procured from the BMC, 187 of them were already using green sources of fuel such as electricity or piped natural gas (PNG). Civic authorities said that only 74 others have switched or commenced the process of transitioning their bakeries to run on cleaner fuels within the deadline.
Since October 2024, when the BMC issued its directives to switch, records show that only 46 bakeries transitioned to cleaner sources of cooking. Furthermore, 28 bakeries are currently in the process of switching from traditional fuels to cleaner ones.
“This leaves 312 bakeries, of which one shut operations, while 311 are yet to switch to cleaner sources. In our meetings and surveys, the bakers had raised concerns over ground implementation and therefore, filed an application seeking an extension of the deadline. If the court grants the extension, we will continue engaging with the bakeries to facilitate the transition,” a senior civic official told The Indian Express Tuesday.
Last week, the civic body and Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL) convened a coordination meeting on July 6 along with representatives from banks and the Bombay Bakers Association (BBA). During the meeting, which aimed to discuss the ground implementation of the gas pipeline, the MGL addressed concerns over security deposits and costs raised by the bakers’ association. The MGL, which conducted its own survey, said that at least 97 bakeries can switch to cleaner fuels with intervention.
At present, the traditional pav, which is a staple food in Mumbai, is baked in bhattis, dome-shaped ovens made out of brick and mortar, which are suited for wood fires as the sole source of heat. The BMC’s data shows that as of now, bakeries contribute to 6 per cent of Mumbai’s overall air quality.
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