The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has allocated Rs 113 crore to its environment department to monitor and maintain the city's air quality that has been significantly deteriorating over the past few years. Even as the total allocation of Rs 113 crore accounts for less than one per cent of the total capital expenditure, the overall allocation for the environment department witnessed a four-fold increase since 2023. The BMC allocated Rs. 25 crore to the environment department in the 2024-25 fiscal. While eyeing towards enforcing the ongoing mitigation measures, the BMC is aiming to boost its monitoring in the city by collaborating with the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) to develop an advanced air monitering forecast system. In a first, this machinery will boost the civic body's mitigation measures by providing an early warning of upto 72-hours by "quantifying contributions from local, regional and distant emission sources of PM (particulate matters)." In what will further boost monitoring in the city, BMC municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani said the civic body is also scrutinising the IIT-Kanpur proposal for "Mumbai Air Network for Advanced Science" that proposes to instal low-cost sensors to monitor local sources of pollution. The environment department is also set to procure 100 battery-operated suction machines, which will suppress the dust particles that remain suspended in the atmosphere. Officials said that four machines will be distributed in each of the city's 24 wards. While environmental scientists welcomed the move, experts like Bhagwan Keshbat of Waatavaran Foundation said the BMC should also focus on ensuring proper implementation of its C&D (construction and demolition) dust mitigation plans. "While initiatives like advanced air quality forecast systems, use of low-cost sensor monitoring networks and the plan of carrying out detailed emissions is certainly a step in the right direction, walkability and procurement of electric buses will also definitely boost sustainable transport practices in the city. Furthermore, construction sites should be encouraged to practice the given construction and demolition waste guidelines to reduce pollution from the construction industry and proper disposal of debris will eliminate the issue of solid construction waste," said Keshbat. According to officials, the BMC has formed 95 squads at ward levels to ensure strict implementation of its 28-point guidelines for construction sites.
