As BMC fights air pollution, Kesarkar urges for a fire cracker-free Diwali

“We are urging everyone, including school children, to celebrate ‘Deepotsav’, and we request everyone to not burst crackers in the city. The city has been facing the problem of air pollution and BMC has been taking several measures to curb the problem of rising AQI levels. Our main worry now stems from fire crackers. If people refrain from bursting crackers, then the city will be successful in keeping the air pollution level down even after Diwali”, Kesarkar told reporters on Wednesday.

Amid the city experiencing rising air pollution levels, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has taken a slew of measures including the release of a charter for mitigation guidelines.

Calling for the immediate deployment of enforcement squads on ward level to ensure that construction sites abide by its guidelines in its charter, the civic body has already issued intimation notices to close to 1,000 construction sites.

Addressing the civic body’s ongoing battle against the pollution levels, Kesarkar said, “We have started working speedily on the implementation of norms. We have asked construction sites to put tin covers. Besides this, we have also started cleaning roads on a regular basis.”

In a bid to rid Mumbai’s swathes off of dust, which has been identified as one of the biggest contributors of air pollution by the Mumbai Air Pollution Mitigation Plan (MAPMP) released in March 2023, the civic body has pressed sludge dewatering machines, mist blowing machines as well as 121 water tankers into service.

Meanwhile, during a meeting convened by Kesarkar on Wednesday, he added that the civic body will crackdown on the hawkers at Dadar market following Diwali.

“In Dadar a lot of sellers gather to sell stuff. However, we have urged the hawkers to clear the footpath space within four-five days of Diwali. Since it is the festive season now, we have permitted them to continue their trade now,” Kesarkar said.